The challenge of Christian education in a turbulent world
Liviu Caprar, theologian from Romania. Photo RD, Anton Dommerholt
European Union
The political situation in Romania is unstable at the moment, and that is threatening Christian education, too. The main parties are losing credibility, and some fear that this may lead to the growth of groups critical of Christian schools. “Still, the Lord says: Do not fear in this turbulent world. That’s what we take courage from.”
Stay up to date with Christian news in Europe? Sign up for CNE's newsletter.
Liviu Caprar is still carrying his roller suitcase, as he arrived by plane from Bucharest on Wednesday to visit the ECCEN conference in Apeldoorn (European Conference for Christian Education in the Netherlands). In the evening, he conducts the opening Bible study. The conference is held every two years, and this week, it has attracted 70 participants from 17 European countries, including Ukraine. There are also visitors from Israel, Pakistan and New Zealand.
Sitting in the auditorium of the Fruytier College in Apeldoorn, he tells how he became active in the Logos Baptist School in the Romanian capital Bucharest after the revolution of 1989. Caprar started the school and also functioned as the first principal. “We were allowed to start the school because there had been a Baptist seminary in the past, and our school could be seen as a continuation of that.”
The Logos Baptist School offers secondary education for those 14-18 years old. The number of students has dropped slightly and now stands at 100. The new principal hopes to expand the school again so that this number will grow. But to do that, the school needs stability, so that everybody knows what to expect.
In 2023, the government passed a bill for a new law on education. “Some articles in the proposal were quite bad for Christian education in general, particularly in teaching religion. With fourteen registered denominations in Romania, we came together and discussed the government’s bill. After that, we went to the parliament with thirteen common amendments, which were all accepted.”
Looking back, Caprar believes that the Romanian Orthodox Church was very outspoken toward his case, which proved crucial in the passage. “That we could do that together was meaningful, too.”
Gender
Although the amendments have been accepted, this does not mean that there is no debate around the school, Caprar says. The left-wing and progressive parties in Romania are still trying to influence education. “Some of them have tried to scrap the religious teaching. When this did not work, those voices suggested that we would reduce the hours for this by only teaching religion once every two weeks. Other proposals were to introduce health education as an umbrella for gender propaganda.”
Those progressive parties are not significant at the moment. However, because of the political instability in Romania, they can have a more substantial influence than their numbers suggest. Caprar: “Since the main parties lose credibility, which allows the extreme groups to grow. Christians are praying that this all will end rightly.”
The Logos Baptist School is a secondary education institution, but its principal plans to expand the school to elementary education (10-14 years). “From that age, it is much easier for them to travel through the city.” Bucharest has about 2 million inhabitants.
According to Caprar, Christians in Romania could be more focused on primary education. Apart from an Adventist school and the Christian kindergarten Wurmbrand, there are no Christian primary schools in Bucharest. Caprar: “Even the country’s rules say that parents have to find the nearest school to their home.”
His most urgent problem currently is not ideological but practical. Even after 35 years, the school still does not have its own building. “At the moment, we are in the building of another school. The mayor of our district wants us to stay there, but we do not know what the local council will decide. This is subject to prayer.”
Paralyse
The world is turbulent. That is the description that Caprar uses in his Bible study Wednesday evening at the conference’s opening. “Looking at the threats, there is enough reason to fear,” the Romanian says. “What will artificial intelligence do with education? What will the dominance of modern sexual ethics be? All those questions could lead to fear. Fear can dominate us and paralyse our lives.”
Caprar—who is also a pastor at Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Bucharest—points in another direction: “Take courage in this turbulent world. “This is what the Lord says to His disciples before His death. After His resurrection, He finds them full of fear. And then He says twice: Peace be with you. You are not alone; I am risen. That could help us today, too.”
Related Articles
