Where We Work
Albania is located just above Greece in the Balkan Peninsula and hugs the coastline of the Adriatic Sea. The modern state of Albania came into existence in 1912. Following the 2nd World War, the country became a satellite state of the USSR, which severely curtailed religious freedoms; in fact, in 1967 Albania was declared the world’s first atheistic state. When the communist system disintegrated in the early 1990’s, the country began a process of westernization, having joined NATO and in process of joining the EU.
Albania
Church Partnership
We are supporting Light Church, which is led by Pastor Andi Dina and located in the capital city of Tirana. This active church is reaching out to the lost about them and seeking to share the gospel in their community.
Theological Education
Come Over & Help is also partnering with IGNIS ministry, whose mission is to ‘encourage, resource and equip local churches and church planting initiatives in spiritual and organizational matters so that they can fulfill their mission to be salt and light in Albania’. This is done by providing theological education through Union Seminary (London UK), publishing Reformed books and articles, and engaging Albanians through their website and social media.
Armenia
Armenia is part of the Caucasus region and borders Turkey to the south and Georgia to the north. Armenia gained its independence in 1991 following the dissolution of the USSR. The Armenian people have suffered genocide under the Ottoman Empire, and terrible repression under the USSR. Today, Armenia is a republic and is considered to be an emerging democracy.
Home for Kurds
Through your support, Come Over & Help is partnering with Home for Kurds to bring the gospel to the Kurdish people in Armenia. This organization, based in the Netherlands, is led by Faraidoun and Wesseline Fouad.
Belarus
Belarus is officially a free country; however, in practice, the government restricts basic human rights and does not uphold the rule of law. Other national governments have expressed grave concerns over the lack of true democratic principles in what has been referred to as “Europe’s last dictatorship”. The government directly or indirectly discourages and restricts the activities of religious groups beyond the Belarusian Orthodox Church. In order to assist the Reformed church community in Belarus, Come Over & Help has a number of local pastors we partner with to provide support.
Church Partnership
Come Over and Help is assisting 15 small, poor congregations in Belarus. By providing our support, the pastors are freed from needing to hold down a full-time job to support themselves and their family, and can concentrate on ministry work. Bible Conferences for church members and Pastor’s Conferences, which aim to instruct and mature the church, are held regularly.
Theological Education
Reformed Study Center
We are helping to rent, furnish and resource a study center in Minsk, where pastors and theological students can study, research, write sermons etc., away from the cramped quarters and distractions of their apartments. Several Bible study groups from a local Presbyterian church also meet here.
Seminary Student Support
We are providing financial assistance to 5 young seminarians as they prepare for pastoral ministry by studying at the Evangelical Reformed Seminary of Ukraine.
Church Partnership
Poor Family Assistance
Church families with financial needs are helped by the local church deaconry on an as-needed basis.
Winter Help
Needy families and individuals suffering during the cold winter months receive assistance, whether it be food, clothing, fuel for heating, or help paying bills.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is the home to John Huss, one of the great Reformers. Sadly, the Czech Republic has strayed from its Reformed moorings and is now considered to be one of the most atheistic countries in Europe. Though the Czech people suffered heavy repression as an East Bloc state under the Communist regime of the USSR, the Czech Republic is now an independent country and an EU member. Great economic strides have been made since the fall of the USSR.
Literature
We are supporting literature projects. Currently, we are translating What is the Mission of the Church? into the Czech language.
Church Partnership
Come Over & Help is partnering with a church plant in Kuřim, which is under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan Moorhead and Radek Kolařík.
Pastor Training
We are supporting a young man who will be interning at the church while completing his seminary training.
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Georgia
In the heart of Eurasia, Georgia sits between the Black Sea and Russia. Georgia has had a turbulent history of conflict and strife. It emerged as an independent country after the fall of the USSR. Today, Georgia is considered a developing country and has stabilized after decades of turmoil.
Home for Kurds
Through your support, Come Over & Help is partnering with Home for Kurds to bring the gospel to the Kurdish people in Armenia.
Hungary
Since the fall of the USSR, Hungary has made great leaps to becoming a stable and financially secure nation. In 2004, Hungary became a member of the EU and continues to integrate with Western Europe. While the economy and the living conditions in Hungary continue to improve, spiritual life in Hungary languishes and the church is in need of reformation and renewal.
Projects
Come Over & Help is supporting literature projects, theological training, and conferences in Hungary through the churches and church plants of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Central and Eastern Europe (RPCCEE).
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is the largest land-locked country in the world (meaning there is no outlet to the oceans). It has vast natural resources and a widely diverse geography. The population of about 18 million is predominantly Kazakh and Muslim; less than 2% would be considered evangelical Christians. Officially freedom of religion is permitted, but religious leaders who oppose the government are suppressed, and in reality, there are heavy restrictions on freedom of assembly, speech and religion. To be a Christian here carries a real possibility of persecution. Come Over & Help is currently supporting a church plant in the city of Almaty.
Church Partnership
Pastor Denis Boris is a graduate of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, USA. Earlier in his life, Denis was immersed in a prosperity gospel church; however, upon introduction to the doctrines of grace, he was swept away by the centrality of Christ in the Scriptures.
This church is of strategic importance. There are few opportunities for theological training in Kazakhstan, and Denis hopes this ministry may become a base for Reformed training. While there are some zealous Christians working in the church, many of them need more training to avoid falling into theological confusion that is rampant.
By God's grace, a church plant began in 2016. Today there are 22 members of the church and about 40 gathering for worship. They have hosted three conferences on the themes of Church Membership, Evangelism, and Expositional Preaching. The conferences attract different church leaders in the area so that later relationships are developed and those leaders are influenced by good, biblical teaching. Besides that, with COAH’s support they actively participate in publishing solid books in Russian and Kazakh languages.
The main focus of the Boris’ ministry is to serve the church. They realize that God’s plan of displaying His glory to the watching world is the church
Latvia
Latvia is the middle of the three Baltic states just west of Russia. During the last century the people of Latvia suffered greatly: first during the two world wars, and then under Soviet communism. Historically Lutheran following the Reformation, there are but few remnants of the historical Reformed presence in Latvia. The first Reformed church was replanted only in 1990. However, despite the smallness of the Reformed Church in Latvia today, it is a delight to see how, in their own words, this denomination is convinced that “the Word ministry (teaching and preaching of the Bible) is the front line of Christian mission”. Come Over & Help seeks to promote and support the young Latvian Reformed community in several meaningful ways.
Church Partnership
Several graduates of BRTS are laboring as pastors in and around Riga. Alvis Sauka and Ungars Gulbis both pastor established congregations. Martins Martinsons, a BRTS graduate, has more recently planted a church in Pardaugava, the university sector of Riga; under God's blessing, the church is thriving.
The Reformed churches in Latvia are focused on outreach, using 1-to-1 Bible reading as a means of bringing God’s Word to others.
Pastor Education
Baltic Reformed Theological Seminary is located on rented premises on the second floor of an old building in the capital city of Riga. BRTS was founded in 1998 to provide evangelical theological education for students in the Baltic states, inviting qualified instructors from America, Canada and Europe. Alvis Sauka is the President of the seminary, and has been a catalyst for bringing many in Latvia to a Reformed understanding of Scripture and theology. Artis Celmins is the director of the seminary.
Increasingly, Reformed churches in western Russia, as well as in other Russian-speaking countries like Kazakhstan and Belarus, are looking to BRTS to provide theological training for their men.
A recent exciting development is the establishment of an extension project in Jekabpils in central Latvia. This study group was formed in response to a group of church leaders who had a strong desire to learn more about Reformed theology and lead their church in that direction. We praise God for this development!
Outreach
One of the pastors supported by Come Over & Help, Ungars Gulbis, is engaged in radio ministry. His Sunday sermons are formatted for radio and broadcast each week. There have been expressions of interest from many, and some have visited the Reformed churches. As a result of this ministry, Pastor Gulbis has also been invited to participate in several on-air forums, and to broadcast devotionals on the Christian radio station.
Lithuania
Lithuania declared itself independent from the Soviet Union in 1990. It remains a needy nation, economically and especially spiritually. Fewer than 1% of Lithuanians would consider themselves Lutheran or Reformed, and most of these would be nominal and/or liberal. Reformed orthodoxy in this nation is presently very weak.
Literature
For some years now, Come Over & Help has been supporting a literature translation, publication and distribution ministry in the heart of the capital city of Vilnius. The Center for Reformed Christian Literature is operated by Julius Jonusas, an energetic and enterprising young man with a passion for the Reformed faith. In this small and inviting bookshop, attractively printed books by solidly reformed authors both contemporary and from the past, are available in Russian, English and Lithuanian. Especially important is the translation of books into Lithuanian, the native tongue. Julius estimates that the total number of Lithuanian titles that can be considered Reformed is about 60. However, by God’s grace and with His help, we are looking to grow that number by translating and publishing devotional, practical and theological works.
We believe this bookstore, under God’s blessing, may be of strategic importance to the re-establishment of the Reformed church in Lithuania. Members of various evangelical churches are currently the largest consumers of Reformed literature in the country. Catholic priests have also dropped in occasionally, buying books such as Faith’s Chequebook by C. H. Spurgeon. And this is all besides the Reformed community itself, which is demonstrating interest in a return to historic Reformed theology and literature.
Conferences
Come Over & Help sponsors an annual conference, designed to deepen and strengthen the church leaders and beyond. To date, conferences have been held on the topics of Preaching the Word, led by Pastor Ian Macleod, Christian Counseling, led by Rev. Mark Kelderman and his wife Donna, and Marriage and Family Relationships led by Dr. Jim Newheiser
Poland
Located in Central Europe, Poland has a long and rich history. Following World War II, in which the Polish people suffered terribly, it became a satellite state of the Communist Bloc. However, since the dissolution of the USSR 1989 and following, Poland established itself as a democratic republic, joined the EU, and is making good strides in developing economically and socially.
However, while progress has been made on many fronts in the past decades, Poland is an important mission field with great spiritual need. Only about 0.25% of all Poles would be broadly considered Protestant. (For comparison, 0.34% of Saudi Arabians are Protestant!) The Roman Catholic Church is losing its influence on the younger generation, due to the scandals within the Roman Catholic Church. As people become disillusioned with the Catholic Church, they become skeptical about faith. Many would still say that they believe in God but have no time for the church. This context creates an opportunity for the Protestant church in Poland, an opportunity that has never existed before in the country, and one which Come Over & Help is taking advantage of.
Church Partnership
We are partnering with Christ the Saviour Presbyterian church in Krakow, Poland. Planted in 2015 and pastored by Sashko Nezamutdinov, the membership is young, and drawn mostly from local churches with charismatic and prosperity gospel teaching. They have rented a store front which serves as a place of worship on Sundays and a Christian library the rest of the week. Come Over & Help is assisting the church plant financially, as well as cooperating on Reformed literature projects. Few Reformed works are in Polish. For example, Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion are not available, so in addition to other projects, we are helping publish this seminal work in Polish.
Romania
Despite many natural resources and a favourable climate and recent economic growth, Romania remains one of the economically poorest countries in Europe, particularly in the rural areas. This is due to a turbulent history with regular periods of unrest and violence, and ongoing corruption in all levels of government. Richard Wurmbrand, the well-known pastor who suffered much for his faith, and eventually came to North America to become a voice for the persecuted church, was from Romania. Today about 3% of Romanians, the majority of whom are ethnic Hungarians, identify themselves as Reformed. In Romania, COAH is privileged to partner with a number of organizations, all of which are focused on spreading the gospel and demonstrating the love of Christ by providing assistance to the neediest in church and society.
Children & Youth
Come Over & Help is supporting several children’s homes in central and western Romania: Kajantho Maria Children’s Home in Alesd, Casa Emanuel Children’s Home in Criscior, and Emaus House in Targu Mures. The children are brought to these homes as actual or social orphans (meaning their parent(s) are unable or unwilling to care for them). At these homes, the children receive love and care and the gospel message which they would otherwise not receive. They also attend church and become part of that community. Most of the children receive support through the Come Over & Help Child Sponsorship Program.
Church Partnership
Come Over & Help is assisting several church plants of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the Asociatia Presbiteriania Crestina church in Mangalia.
Evangelism, Outreach and Humanitarian Aid
Several programs designed to reach out to the needy in society with aid and the gospel are being supported by Come Over & Help. An elderly program and evangelism outreach to the Roma (Gypsies) are conducted in Rosiori, while an after-school program and daily bread program take place in Turda.
Christian Endeavor Mission (CE)
Christian Endeavour in Oradea is a vibrant and extensive mission committed to reaching out to the neediest in their community with the ministry of the Word and the ministry of mercy.
The ministries that run out of this organization include 10 different Bible study groups targeting different ages and profiles
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Julia Daily Care Program for at-risk children
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Onesimus Mentorship Program for teens
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Naomi’s Smile Elderly Care Program providing spiritual care, home care, social meetings
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Support group for people struggling with alcohol, drug and gambling addictions
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Easter and Christmas evangelism program
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Community meetings for parents, at-risk families
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Summer camps for young people from at-risk families
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Handicap care – support group
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Christian literature for churches and hospital and prison distribution
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Food bank
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Thrift store – fundraising and building relationships and community connection
Russia
Russia is the largest country in the world by surface area. Much of the population is concentrated in the western part. Decades of communism and brutal rule have deeply scarred the nation, and the effects are everywhere. Today, under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has re-emerged as an aggressive and forceful player on the world stage. While most of the West disapproves of this, many Russians admire Putin for the order and national pride he has established. Religious life is dominated by the Russian Orthodox Church; fewer than 1% of Russians are Protestant. Increasingly religious freedoms are being restricted in Russia, and in particular mission and evangelism activities have been greatly limited. In these increasingly hostile circumstances, we are privileged to partner with a number of ministries and pastors who continue to shine forth the light of the gospel, in both word and in deed.
Church Partnership
Come Over & Help is supporting 20 churches in Russia, mainly in Yakutia. Many of their pastors minister to small rural congregations who lack the means to support their pastor. Our gospel partnership allows the pastors to focus their attention and energy on their ministries rather than side employment.
Theological Education
We are supporting a Bible school led by Pastor Alexander Khitrov of ‘Source of Life Baptist Church’ in Tyumen. It is open to local pastors currently in ministry, and all courses are taught from a Reformed perspective. In this way, biblical theology and worldview is being shared, and helps the pastors in their growth and understanding of the glorious truths of Scripture.
We are also helping Tyumen Reformed Bible School, a Presbyterian seminary, by providing stipends to seminarians who have financial needs.
Evangelism
In the north of Russia and particularly Siberia, there are numbers of remote, inaccessible villages. However, during the winter months, the rivers and lakes freeze, creating a ready-made highway. During these months, each year a group of pastors head north on a lengthy and treacherous circuit, to bring the gospel to these villages, and to strengthen and assist the believers.
A Street Children Outreach seeks to provide assistance to children lacking parental care; in Russia, alcohol abuse wreaks havoc in many homes. This project involves providing clothing, Christian literature and other care to these children.
Children and Youth
A number of children from impoverished Christian families in Yakutia receive assistance by means of the Come Over & Help Child Sponsorship Program.
Winter Help
Needy families and individuals suffering during the cold winter months receive assistance, whether it be food, clothing, fuel for heating, or help paying bills.
Serbia
Serbia is a central Balkan nation. While it is considered today to be a parliamentary republic, its history is one of war and struggle. Unemployment in Serbia is high, and poverty is ubiquitous. Eastern Orthodoxy dominates religious life, and protestants account for less than 1% of the population. Come Over and Help seeks to promote and support the small Serbian reformed community in several meaningful ways
Literature
We have translated a number of titles into Serbian. Often literature is distributed in conjunction with the conferences. For example, Dr. Gerald Bilkes led a conference based on the parables of Christ, and all conference attendees received a copy in Serbian of Bilkes’ book on the parables, Glory Veiled and Unveiled.
Theological Education
Each spring Come Over & Help sponsors a Pastor’s Conference in Serbia. About 100 pastors and church leaders from Serbia and the neighboring countries, who have a love for classic Reformed theology and piety, gather for several days to be instructed out of God’s Word.
Balkan Theological Faculty
We are supporting theological students of this Reformed institution as they do internships in local churches.
Ukraine
Outreach
We are partnering with a number of pastors and ministry workers involved in various outreaches. Often material help is combined with gospel ministry. These include:
Prison, Hospital and Orphanage Ministries: Bible studies, one-on-one meetings, gospel preaching
Refugee Assistance: providing for basic needs and reaching out with the gospel to those in need
Soup Kitchen Outreach: providing meals for the homeless and down-and-out
Rehabilitation Centres
A significant ongoing outreach to prisoners and drug addicts is part of the ministry of some local churches in Ukraine. These centers admit ex-prisoners and those enslaved to addiction. Living there full-time, they are given the supports needed to overcome debilitating habits and deficits. Life skills are taught with the goal of eventual re-integration into society. Most importantly the men and women in this program have the gospel brought to them daily, and by God’s grace and the power of the gospel, many lives are transformed.
Children's Ministry
Come Over & Help partners with a number of programs across Ukraine that reach out to at-risk children growing up in poverty and need. Go to our ‘Children & Youth Ministries’ page for details.
Literature
COAH is partnering with several ministries which translate, publish and distribute solid Reformed literature.
Ukraine is a large country with rich soils and many resources. Yet it remains, after Moldova, the poorest country in Europe. Its history, both distant and recent, is one of conflict and trouble. The Protestant church suffered much under communist rule. Today the church remains small and fragile, and, as in many other places, susceptible to heresy and division. Yet, thanks be to God, there are faithful men and gospel workers laboring here, spreading the Word of God and reaching out to the needy. We are partnering with a large number of ministries and pastors in Ukraine, all dedicated to the advance of the gospel, using a tremendous variety of ways and means.
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