An Outburst of Roma Pentecostalism

Excited and nervous on his first day of high school in Leskovac, Serbia, Saša Bakic waited his turn to introduce himself. After he said his name, his new teacher stopped him: “Are you Roma?” she asked. “Let’s make a deal—if you don’t skip school and stay quiet in class, I will pass you with a D.” Stunned and humiliated, Saša tried to protest amidst the class’s laughter, only to be told, “You are all the same.”

The history of the Roma—Europe’s largest minority—is pockmarked with stories of forced assimilation, enslavement, and even attempted genocide during WWII. Today, despite efforts of state and EU policy toward integration, many Roma in Eastern Europe are still mired in systemic poverty and social stigma.

The steady growth of Roma Pentecostalism in Europe, however, is another narrative challenging these sobering realities.

When Saša began attending church at age 8, he received a message of acceptance and encouragement. “The children’s sermons acknowledged that we were outcasts, but that we should love rather than hate,” he remembered, now working to complete his bachelor’s in theology. “The church told us, ‘Let’s make a better image of our community!’”

Pentecostalism is helping Romani people establish their identities in changing social contexts. Scholars have argued various theories to explain the success of Roma Pentecostalism, but many Roma Christians testify that a new identity—being a child of God—emboldens a new confidence in being Roma. Significantly, studies in various contexts have shown that the spread of Pentecostalism in Roma communities is linked to social change, including rising education levels and a decrease in crime, and such visible change legitimizes the church as a medium through which to engage the wider society.

A Pentecostal revival began in Leskovac in the early 1990s, and there are now an estimated 1,000 Christians out of the 8,000 to 10,000 Roma. The resulting positive social impact has improved the relationship between Roma and Serbians. Local schools, for instance, have recognized the Roma Pentecostal church’s influence and now do an annual presentation in the church to introduce teachers and facilitate questions. School officials consult with Roma Pastor Šerif Bakic, Saša’s uncle, about decisions affecting Roma students. These days, most of the church’s youth graduate high school.

Still, Pentecostalism is not some magic button. Due to systemic poverty, transformation is slow and sometimes unnoticeable. Churches are well-established in places such as Bulgaria and Romania, but in other countries they are relatively new and struggling. The economic problems plaguing most of Eastern Europe worsen relations between Roma and non-Roma.

In a time like this, the church can play a key prophetic role, not just in social transformation but also in helping to foster reconciliation between Roma and non-Roma. Pastor Šerif notes: “Only the church—through the power of the love of Christ—represents a positive and life-changing voice.”

And this change is seen one life at a time. On his last day of class, Saša showed his teacher his good grades in all classes. “She was speechless,” he remembered. “I then told her I forgave her and shared the gospel with her.”