Covenant Discipleship in Romania

By Teanna Sunberg
Reprinted from Where Worlds Meet, Year 11, Issue 10, December 2013


Sighișoara, Romania – Some historians argue that the faith movement birthed by John Wesley actually saved England from experiencing a fate similar to the French Revolution. Yet, today the mention of a Wesleyan discipleship movement generally brings a yawn and a quick exodus from the conversation. It seems that the word “discipleship” fails to convey the radical transformation that snatched souls from the pit of hell and ransomed a bankrupt British society.

“We have not been intentional enough with discipleship training and practices,” says Jay Sunberg, Central Europe Field strategy coordinator.

At the invitation of Rev. Tamara Hudson, district superintendent of Romania, Sunberg led a Discipleship Weekend in Sighișoara for 22 participants from the Romania District. These Romanian Nazarenes make a groundbreaking statement of faith about the Holy Spirit’s power to redeem and transform at both individual and societal levels.

The agenda of the weekend was an interactive dialogue regarding the Biblical call to discipleship, the Wesleyan heritage of discipleship, and the concept of covenant discipleship. At the end of the weekend, the participants broke into four discipleship groups and wrote a covenant statement which they commit to until the end of April.

Sunberg earned a Doctor of Ministry degree with his thesis on using contemporary methods for discipleship accountability. Building upon the theological work of Dr. David Lowes Watson who contemporized Wesley’s approach to discipleship, Sunberg explored the possibility of utilizing social media methods to connect people for discipleship growth.

Out of this study, a new commitment to holiness and the necessity of submitting to lifestyle accountability emerged. According to Sunberg, “The concept of a radical lifestyle powered by heart holiness begins with a rewiring of how we think about discipleship. Conceptually, we must move from an ‘it’s my responsibility’ to a ‘we are responsible for each other’s growth’ mindset. Discipleship is about accountability, responsibility for each other, and the power of community.”

The power of the new discipleship model begins with that rewiring of the discipleship concept. Participants commit to a weekly accountability check-in, but the key to understanding lies in community. The spiritual journey is based upon James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widow in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

The road to mature spiritual formation is sourced out of the intersection of works of piety and works of mercy. It is where they exist in the same place that holiness becomes tangible. The community shares responsibility for this journey instead of thinking of discipleship as an individual process. It becomes a shared, corporate responsibility of accountability, encouragement, mentoring, and prayer.

The Romanian District is using this new discipleship model in conjunction with their mentoring program for ordination and pastoral training. The hope is to build spiritual structures that lead to solid spiritual formation as individuals prepare for ministry. 

To learn more about the growth of the Church in the Central Europe Field, visit www.centraleuropenaz.org. For more information about covenant discipleship, email Jay Sunberg at JSunberg@aol.com.


Please pray for God to produce fruit in the Romanian Nazarenes who are participating in a new covenant discipleship initiative. Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower them and bring them maturity in their faith.