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Romanian Baptists experienced a great revival in the 1970’s. People were saved and added to the churches by the thousands.  Although a major center of the revival was the city of Oradea in Transylvania near the Hungarian border, the Baptists in Hungary felt little of the effects.

The major preacher of the revival was Liviu Olah (1938-2008), who had been trained as a lawyer before being called to the ministry.  Many of the Romanian Baptist Union leaders betrayed him, as the huge dossier kept by the secret police shows, now open to the public, clearly shows.  (His code name with the secret police was “John the Baptist.”) That he was not executed is a testimony to government’s fear of him and the keeping power of God.

Among the writers who influenced Olah were Charles Spurgeon, A. W. Tozer and Charles Ryrie.  The three great emphases of his ministry were holiness, prayer and evangelism/church planting.  Christians must recognize the holiness of God and respond appropriately.  In a country dominated religiously by the Romanian Orthodox Church, Baptist are referred to derisively as “Repenters.”  Olah preached that “the Repenters need to repent.”  Olah led by example in prayer, spending as many as eight hours a day praying.  No wonder his preaching resulted in thousands of conversions.  He had prayed for the day when Romanians could openly witness for Christ and Christian radio and television could operate without restraint.  God has answered his prayers.

I have personally spoken with a number of Romanians who were saved under his preaching and influenced by his life.  They tell of leaving their villages by train at 2:00 AM on Sunday morning so that they could arrive at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Oradea by 5:00 AM for the 9:00 AM service.  If they came any later, they could not be assured of getting a seat.  While they waited for the service to start, they would sing and pray.  By 9:00 AM, as many hearers stood outside as those who were inside.  All of this happened under the threat of communist persecution.  The leaders of the independent Baptists in Romania today are a product of Olah’s ministry.

Though little known in the West, Liviu Olah deserves a prominent place among Baptist heroes.