Lausanne World Pulse – World Pulse Archives – World Pulse Archives

There are few more strategic cities to work in,” said David Hodgdon, pastor of Rome Baptist Church. His congregation got its international flavor from the UN and embassy staff members, students and refugees from many nations who filled it. Some came not to hear a sermon but to learn English. A Bible class was started in Farsi and English for Middle Easterners. An afternoon Chinese Bible study grew into a church. An African fellowship also began, and Filipino services in Tagalog attracted so many they had to move to other facilities.

In 1963 Southern Baptist missionaries William and Helen Ruchti felt a burden to start an English language fellowship for the city’s visitors and residents. A meeting place was found in the former stable section of a large palazzo [palace] in the heart of the city, Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina.

On Sunday mornings Rome Baptist now averages 200 people representing 20 to 25 nationalities. In March of this year, support ceased from the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, and the church became financially independent. Besides offering Bible-centered worship, the church reaches out to the community, evangelizing and providing food and clothing to refugees.

Pastor Hodgdon doesn’t think his ministry challenges are unique. “We just have a few extra issues to remember as we have so many people from different cultures,” he said.

Rev. Wong Chuan Liang, who leads the Chinese church that has met in Rome Baptist for 20 years, would agree. Wong and his wife emigrated from mainland China and in 1983 started the city’s first Chinese Bible study in their own restaurant. Today Wong, president of the Chinese Evangelical Baptist Union, says a great interest in Christianity exists among the 20,000 Chinese in Italy. Approximately 5,000 have already become Christians and meet in 30 churches around the country.

Rome’s two Chinese fellowships are 700 strong. Their missionary vision led Wong to take a team to Athens a year ago to plant a church among the Chinese there. This congregation flourishes, with about 100 members.

Italy’s Illegal Immigrants Almost all refugee roads in Europe really do lead to Rome. The virtual elimination of borders within the European Union has made illegal immigration easier than ever. For the Mafia, transporting Russians, Ukrainians, Romanians and other Eastern Europeans to Rome is big business.

Last September, when Italy declared an amnesty for illegal immigrants, 700,000 applied for permits to stay. Tourists are shocked by the number of beggars in Rome. These newcomers are willing to endure hardships for their children’s sake. —Debbie Meroff