Awakening a Giant

Romania is home to approximately 3 million Roma. Beni Lup, Walk Thru the Bible’s Regional Director for Eastern Europe, has spent nearly two decades making inroads into Roma communities in his home country. In 2000, Beni took a step of faith when he invited

Rich Leland, Walk Thru the Bible’s international director, to teach a live Walk Thru the Old Testament event to the king of the Roma and his people. The bold enthusiasm of Beni and Rich left a lasting impression.

“King Florin was fully engaged in the training—he followed the hand signs and every- thing,” Beni remembers. “He even became one of our board members in Romania.” Beni played a role in strengthening the faith of the king, who left a legacy of Christianity among his people. By the time King Florin passed away, 105 churches had been planted in the Roma community. The young churches floundered in the absence of trained leaders, so Walk Thru the Bible stepped in to fill the gap.

“Walk Thru the Bible is committed to impacting the Roma community in Romania and throughout Europe by offering the most practical training tools available,” says Beni. “We’ve trained thousands of leaders in courses on marriage, parenting, spiritual growth, and leadership.” He’s witnessed the challenges that Roma leaders confront on a daily basis. “They are hungry and thirsty for the Word of God, but many people reject them,” Beni explains. “They are associated with a very low level of education. Some can’t read well.”

Despite the challenges, Beni and his team identify and equip leaders to teach others. “We reach more than 10,000 Roma people every year through our live teaching and trainings,” Beni hares. “They go out and reach more than a million people in their communities across Europe. What a joy it is to see the rejected being accepted, the broken being restored, and the Church being built up,”

The new Roma king, Dorin Cioaba, serves as one of Walk Thru the Bible’s equippers among his people. “Our nation has been unable to access solid biblical teaching and materials,” King Dorin says. “Walk Thru the Bible came in and gave us tools. We use them efficiently and we see tremendous results.” According to Beni, King Dorin’s network encompasses more than 8 million of the 13 million Roma scattered across Europe.

God has used Walk Thru the Bible to reach entire communities of Roma people, and He continues to create opportunities for greater impact. “The Roma people have potential and passion,” Beni says. “Walk Thru the Bible is committed to impacting the Roma scattered across Europe by bringing them together with teaching and training. The Roma are like a sleeping giant, ready to wake up.”