A Brief History of CCFR
Christ Commission For Romania has a long missionary outreach history that started from a native Romanian couple.
John Dolinschi had escaped his native Communist country of Romania in October 1980. His journey included time in a Yugoslavian jail, then in an Austrian refugee camp, and finally arrived in the USA in April 1981. He attended Christ for the Nations Bible school in Dallas, TX, graduated 1986. Just before Christmas he dared to reenter Romania to smuggle Bible and teach. A year later he and his new bride, Viorica, returned to Dallas.
The couple started a Romanian church in Dallas but soon moved to Austria, where they would work with the underground church in Romania. The people in Romania were struggling. To help them food, clothing, medical supplies and bibles were smuggled in.
In December of 89, under a youth revolution, the communist regime was overthrown from the iron hand of Nicolae Ceausescu. The family moved from Austria to Timisoara, Romania, to continued their work.
At this time a long time prayer and dream of John’s for a Bible school in Romania came true. Seven young men were sent to study at CFNI, Dallas, and by 1991 the first Bible School was running in Suceava, followed by schools in Timisoara, and Cluj, Transylvania. Soon Bible schools by extension were planted all over the country.
In 1993, we had the first youth camp of Romania, followed by children and orphan camps. The youth camp became the National Youth Camp of Romania, and grew to a few thousands youth in one tent. Miracles of salvation and healing were present at all meetings.
The Life Center of Timisoara was built in 1999 by Life Outreach International and CCFR. Since 2000 several hundred youth were trained and graduated from higher level schools, and found the best paying jobs.
Our US staff started up in 1996 with Rusty and Linda Bowles, and continued with Lowell and Sally Senitz, then Bob and Millynne Brown came to be part of the staff.
Over the years thousands of Bible school graduated, thousands of orphans and hundreds of rescued street kids were blessed. Tens of thousands of youth were reached at the camps. Several dozen churches were planted and built. CCFR, has been involved in evangelism, prison ministry, clothing and feeding the poor, and numerous 40-ft containers being shipped to bless the most poor of Romania.
Church leadership and church planting are today's direction. We networked with the local churches, and teach them the principles we practice with the Bible Schools, Life Center, orphanages, camps, and such. We bring the Kingdom of God into the city, town or village where the church is. Serve and clean up the people with practical love and the word of God.
Through leadership Bible seminars, pastoral conferences and conventions, we teach them to reach others, make disciples, raise spiritual sons, and create new leaders into the ministry. We had dozens of pastors and visionary leaders from America coming to help with these Bible and leadership seminars.
“Pastoral Fellowship of Europe and America” Today much of CCFR ministry is being done through this ministry of local pastors and the churches who are acting and doing the same outreaches as CCFR did over the years, and not only that, but developing and accommodating the very needs of society we’re living today.
Hundreds of new pastors and leaders being raised up for the many challenges we face ahead, and every local planted church should have her pastor prepared.
We’re standing on this ground until Romania is committed to Christ, and until the Kingdom of God is manifested on the earth, not only in Romania, but in Europe, America and the world.
Ephesians 1 : 17-19