Pentecostal Union of Romania

Apostolic Church of God
Biserica lui Dumnezeu Apostolică
TypeWestern Christianity
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationEvangelical, Charismatic
ScriptureBible
TheologyHoliness Pentecostalism
PolityCongregationalist
PresidentFilip Ioan
Associations
RegionRomania
LanguageRomanian, Romani
LiturgyContemporary
HeadquartersStr. Carol Davila nr. 81, Sector 5, Bucharest
Origin10 September 1922[1]
Păuliș, Arad County
Recognition1950
SeparationsAssemblies of God (Romania) (1996)
Congregations1,343
Members404,307 (in 2022)[2]
Pastors354
Secondary schools3
Tertiary institutions1
Other name(s)Pentecostal Union of Romania
PublicationsCuvântul Adevărului
Official websitecultulpenticostal.ro
A Pentecostal church in Dej.
Pentecostals in Romania by municipality (2002 census)
Pentecostals in Romania, absolute numbers (2002 census)
Pentecostals in Romania by percentage (2002 census)

The Pentecostal Union of Romania (Romanian: Uniunea Penticostală din România) or the Apostolic Church of God (Romanian: Biserica lui Dumnezeu Apostolică) is Romania's fourth-largest religious body and one of its eighteen officially recognised religious denominations. At the 2021 census, some 404,000 Romanians declared themselves to be Pentecostals (2.1% of the population).[2] Ethnically, as of 2002, they were 85.2% Romanians, 10.6% Roma, 1.9% Ukrainians, 1.8% Hungarians and 0.5% belonged to other groups.[3] They have 1,343 churches, 7,879 affiliates and 354 pastors,[4][5] along with strong lay leadership.[6] The denomination originates in the early 1920s and, headed by a central leadership, is divided into nine regional communities: Arad, Braşov, Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Constanţa, Oradea, Oltenia-Argeş (Craiova), Maramureş-Sătmar (Baia Mare) and Suceava.[7] Membership is concentrated in Crişana, Banat and northern Moldavia.[4]

  1. ^ (in Romanian) “Cultul creștin penticostal” at the Pentecostal Union of Romania site
  2. ^ a b "2022 Romanian Census (preliminary results)" (PDF) (in Romanian). INSSE. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  3. ^ (in Romanian) Populaţia după etnie şi religie, pe medii, at the 2002 Census official site; accessed March 13, 2009.
  4. ^ a b (in Romanian) "Uniunea Penticostală" Archived 2013-10-17 at the Wayback Machine, at the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, Under-Secretariat for Culture and Religious Affairs; accessed April 7, 2008.
  5. ^ Bell, p. 500 gives 2,455 churches and 525 pastors as of December 2001. Rusu claims 2,311 churches.
  6. ^ Pope, p. 184.
  7. ^ Until 1989, the church had branches only at Arad, Oradea and Suceava, the one in Cluj being banned in 1959. Rusu.