2008 Moldovan Baptist Union Leadership Retreat

The Moldovan Baptist leadership extended an invitation to the Future Leadership Foundation to lead an Associational Missionary Leadership Coaching Retreat for their national leaders during Octorber 2008.

The purposes of this retreat were:

1. To provide a retreat renewal time for the three Moldovan Baptist Union leaders and nine associational pastors and their wives.
2. To coach the Moldovan leadership in the most pressing issues they have identified.
3. To do an on-site needs assessment of the Moldovan Baptist milieu.

The retreat focused on needs the Moldovan leaders determined would be most helpful to them in their ministries:

• Casting a Vision for Your Place of Ministry
• Developing Strategic Planning Skills for Your Place of Ministry
• Managing Conflict Skills as an Associational Pastor

There has been growth in evangelical work. In 1991 there were 130 Baptist churches. Today there are 521 churches and missions, a 400% increase in 17 years. Even though there are 21,000 baptized members, there are still 800 towns and villages with no evangelical witness of any kind.

The FLF team was hosted by Baptist Union president Valeriu Ghiletchi. Ghiletchi is a former member of the Moldovan parliament and vice-president of the European Baptist Federation. The team was composed of:

• Bob Johnston, pastor, First Baptist Church, Rolla MO
• Doyle Sager, pastor, First Baptist Church, Jefferson City MO
• Roger Hatfield, Executive Director of FLF