map of Romania

A Brief History of the Church in

Romania

Overview

Beginning in 1899, Mischa Markow, a Latter-day Saint missionary with a Romanian mother, preached in what is now Romania and established branches in Bucharest, Timişoara, and Braşov. However, no members are known to have remained in the country after the 1930s. After the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu was overthrown in 1989, Church leaders visited Romania to offer humanitarian assistance. Latter-day Saints around Europe and in other parts of the world participated in extended efforts to help. At the same time, a few Romanians felt drawn to the restored gospel, and in 1991, a branch in Bucharest was established.

The Church soon spread beyond Bucharest: by 2000, there were also branches in Constanța, Piteşti, Ploieşti, Arad, Timişoara, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Sibiu, Bacău, Braşov, Galați, and Iaşi. In early 2001, young Romanian Latter-day Saints gathered for a countrywide youth conference for the first time. In the Church, members found a place of encouragement and support in times of trial, such as after the 2006 flooding on the Danube. Following Jesus’s counsel to give as freely as they had received (see Matthew 10:8), Romanian members reached out to others in service, especially as the number of refugees in Europe increased after 2015.

Quick Facts

• Official Name: Romania/România

• Capital: Bucharest

• Largest City: Bucharest

• Official Language: Romanian

• Land Area: 238,391 km² (92,043 mi²)

• Church Area: Europe

• Missions: 1 (Part of the Hungary/România Mission)

• Congregations: 15