Pastor Vladimir Mozer of Moldova has worked hard to have
Confessional Lutheranism recognized by the Moldovan government as a
legal "religion" and not a "cult." In 1994, when the first congregation was founded in Tiraspol, there was no
Lutheran presence in Moldova, even though in the past,
before the times of Communist persecution, there had been
many Lutheran congregations there. So, it was necessary to
reorganize the Lutheran Church of Moldova. The Tiraspol congregation, in the Transdniestria region, was originally served by two
German pastors. Vladimir became president of the congregation and later that year served as a lay preacher due to the lack of available
pastors. In 1997 the congregation requested that Vladimir be ordained, and he was. He continues to receive formal theological training by studying at St. Sophia Seminary, Ternopil', Ukraine. In 1999 the constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
the Moldovan Republic (ELCMR) was recognized by the Moldovan
government. Now, with five congregations and 100 members,
one pastor and two lay church workers, the ELCMR is growing and so is its need for financial support.
Moldova is one of the smallest and poorest countries in
Eastern Europe. It is also troubled by various internal
political tensions. It was a part of the Soviet Union
until 1991.
