Initially, it was a vision shared by three men during a chaplaincy conference in Oradea, Romania, in 2002.
Dr. Robert D. Crick, Reverend W. D. Watkins, and Dr. Radu Tirle, at the time Director of the Church of God Chaplains Commission, Senior Pastor of the Stratford Heights Church of God in Middletown, Ohio, and Director of Chaplaincy Ministries in Romania, respectively. The three men sat together at a table and began to outline their shared vision and dream for a chaplaincy care and benevolence center in Romania.
“You could sense the excitement and commitment around the table as God touched our hearts. There was such a tremendous need for such a care center in Romania,” said Dr. Crick. That was the beginning … it would take eight years of hard work and dedicated effort on the part of many people to bring about the completion of the Church of God Chaplaincy and Care Center.
The Center was to be strategically located in Oradea, a city and area of over 500,000 people. The Stratford Heights Church of God provided the initial funds to purchase the land and begin the first phase of the building project. The formal groundbreaking ceremony took place in 2005. As the work progressed, an effort to bring in more supporters through an all-out US fund drive was started, sanctioned by the Chaplains Commission Board of Directors. Much needed funds came from several US businessmen and women, John and Joan Gregory, the Lazarus Foundations, a World Missions fund drive, the Tom and Elaine Offutt Family, the Chaplains Commission Board of Directors, Churches of God across the states and countless individuals who wanted to help. In all, some $1.5 million was raised as the project was brought to completion. The formal dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held earlier this summer and now the facility is up-and-running.
The Center is located next to the major public transportation transfer network for the area. Just a few hundred feet away is a 1,000 student Baptist University, nearby is a 1,500 student K-12 school operated by one of our larger Romanian Churches of God and across the street is a large Orthodox Church. One of Oradea’s largest public hospitals is a short distance away. Within a few miles of the Center is the largest population of gypsies anywhere in Europe. The Center is definitely located in the midst of the life of the city of Oradea and this northern Romanian region.
The completed Center is a 5-story structure with over 20,000 square feet. The first floor is the David and Laura Lorency Humanitarian and Benevolence Suite. It will provide critically needed goods throughout Eastern Europe. A particular group in need are the some 4,000,000 Romanian gypsies, with over 50,000 of them members of the Church of God. The second floor is the John and Joan Gregory Medical Services Suite. It will serve as a medical clinic for the poor in northern Romania. Medical equipment has been donated and provided through financial contributions, along with generous support from Rotary International , the International Assist Ministries, other denominations and medical care agencies.
The Thomas and Elaine Offutt Chaplaincy Training and Development Suite occupies the third floor. It will be used to develop chaplaincy programs throughout Romania and Europe. Training will be carried out for chaplains assigned to hospitals, correctional institutions, gypsy camps, and many other places of need. The fourth floor is the Robert and Jeanette Crick Administrative and Counseling Suite. It will be the area for the development of counseling services, to carry out counseling ministry for people impacted by disasters, counseling services for individuals and families struggling with physical, emotional and spiritual problems. It will also serve as an educational extension for our main seminary in Bucharest. The fifth floor is the Stratford Heights Church of God Missionary and Hospitality Suite. It is a two-bedroom apartment that will house the resident missionary couple and will also provide living quarters for 18 individuals or nine couples – students, missionary medical teams, and others carrying out ministry on a short-term basis. Reverend Ilie Jolta, former Romanian Regional Overseer, will serve as the Center Director.
Today, eight years after that initial shared vision, this new, modern Church of God Chaplaincy and Care Center is open and operating – a living testimony of faith and dedication – reaching out to those in need.
–Wayne Roberson, Church of God Chaplaincy Ministries