Vision
We believe that the church is called to be an extension of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, as a community of believers who worship God and reach out to the world. To do this, we must hold on to the biblical imperatives and we also need to be culturally relevant, bringing biblical truth to life in the 21st century.
There are four biblical imperatives for the church, set forth in the Scripture:
- Worship
- Edification
- Fellowship
- Evangelism
Worshiping God is the main purpose of the church, and worship includes proclaiming His worthiness in word and deed. Our songs, our prayers, our submissive attitudes, our daily living are all acts of worship. We believe that worship is not an event or a fleeting feeling, but a lifestyle that honors God and places Him at the center of everything we do.
Edification of the believers through sound biblical teaching aims at developing a Christlike character. We believe that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God that reveals us the Person and plan of God, and provides a moral compass for our lives. Edification is achieved through Bible study, preaching and teaching appropriate for all age groups.
Fellowship is both a source of strength for the believers and a witness for the world. Our love for one another is a strong testimony about the redeeming love of God for us and about the presence of the Holy Spirit who produces fruit in us. The community of believers rejoices in the fellowship and provides an environment of acceptance and encouragement in which each believer thrives.
Evangelism is simply the sharing of the Good News that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, that He loves people and has created them for fellowship with Him. The motivation for evangelism is a genuine love for God and for our fellow men.
As a Romanian church in Charlotte, NC, we believe we are called to minister primarily to the Romanian community of the greater Charlotte area, as well as to the Romanians living in Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, or the rest of the world. Since all men are loved by God and they all need the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, we’ll reach out to the wider community, to love them into the Kingdom of God.
History
The Romanian Baptist Church of Charlotte was established on November 7, 2004, by a group of 20 Romanian believers from the greater Charlotte area, under the leadership of Pastor Livius T. Percy. Northside Baptist Church graciously offered us a place to meet and worship. The Charlotte metropolitan area has about 1,000 Romanians and we believe it is our calling to evangelize and minister to these people.
In February 2006 the church called Ioan Pelea to serve as Associate Pastor. Soon after his coming he also started directing the choir.
In August 2006 the first baptismal service was held, when Irina Perjar expressed in baptism her commitment to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the church grew we needed to move to a larger facility and in October 2006 we moved to Derita Baptist Church. At the end of 2006 we had 55 members and 30 children and teenagers. At the beginning of 2008, we had approximately 84 members, 41 children and teenagers, and 35 regular visitors that had not pursued membership.
In 2010, the church inaugurated the new building on Faires Farm Rd in north east Charlotte, close to the UNCC university. In 2015, Radu Stir joined the pastoral team as an associate pastor and musical director. In 2018, the church grew to 106 members plus children and teenagers.