Romanian Ministries

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 1159517
• Annual Giving: £238,108 (2023)
• Grant Range: Varies based on need
• Geographic Focus: Romania (national)
• Application Method: No public application process - invitation/relationship-based
• Registered: December 2014

Contact Details

Website: www.romanianministries.org

Email: adrian.carey-jones@tiscali.co.uk (also ministriesromanian@gmail.com)

Phone: 0117 982 4796

Registered Office: Bristol, UK

Overview

Romanian Ministries is a UK-registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) founded in December 2014. With an annual expenditure of approximately £238,108 (2023), the charity focuses on two core objectives: promoting the Christian religion in Romania and among Romanian-speaking people, and relieving poverty throughout Romania. The organization operates as a grant-making charity, providing financial support to both individuals and organizations. Through regular visits to Romania, trustees identify godly individuals and Christian workers who wish to minister in particular areas, then disburse donations from UK supporters according to needs and strategic priorities. The charity is led by trustees including Rachel Elizabeth Jones, Peter Graham Cox, and James Anthony Martin, with Adrian Carey-Jones (pastor of a Romanian church in Bristol) playing a key role in identifying and supporting projects.

Funding Priorities

Grant-Making Approach

Romanian Ministries makes grants to individuals and organizations identified through trustees' regular visits to Romania. The charity does not operate fixed grant programs with set amounts but rather responds to identified needs in their priority areas.

Priority Areas

Christian Ministry Support:

• Support for pastors and lay workers
• Romanian Fellowship churches and church planting
• Prison ministry (work with “necautati” - never visited prisoners)
• Youth ministry work

Poverty Relief:

• Street children programs (supporting shelters and outreach)
• Hospice and palliative care (Emanuel Hospice support)
• Roma community support
• Income-generating projects (land and greenhouses purchased to provide locally sourced income)

Christian Literature and Education:

• Translation and publication support through Faclia Publishing House in Oradea
• Bible classes and Christian education materials

Beneficiary Groups

• Children and young people (particularly street children)
• Elderly individuals
• People with disabilities
• Roma communities
• Prisoners
• Christian workers and pastors

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees (6 total):

• Rachel Elizabeth Jones
• Peter Graham Cox
• James Anthony Martin
• Howard Thomas Bilton (also serves as trustee of Tabor Baptist Church)
• Plus two additional trustees

Key Figure:

Adrian Carey-Jones serves as a trustee and pastor of a Romanian Fellowship in Bristol, which he started with Romanian friend Cornel Pelea in 2007. He transitioned from working as an auditor and pastor of an English-speaking church in Bristol to taking on the Romanian Fellowship role in May 2015.

Staffing:

• 5 volunteers
• No paid employees earning over £60,000
• No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

There is no public application process. Romanian Ministries does not accept unsolicited applications. The charity identifies projects and individuals to support through:

• Regular visits to Romania by trustees
• Established relationships with Romanian Christian workers and organizations
• Recommendations from trusted contacts within their network
• Direct identification of need through on-the-ground assessment

As stated in their operational approach: "Through regular visits Romanian Ministries identifies godly individuals who wish to minister in a particular area, then receives donations from friends in the UK, which are disbursed to these individuals in accordance with their needs and the Lord's leading to pastors, lay workers or small Christian organisations."

Getting on Their Radar

Since Romanian Ministries operates through trustee-led identification rather than open applications, organizations or individuals seeking support would need to:

• Connect with existing supported projects in Romania who could provide recommendations
• Build relationships with Romanian Christian networks, particularly in areas where the charity already operates (Oradea, Arad, Bristol Romanian Fellowship)
• Contact trustee Adrian Carey-Jones through the Bristol Romanian Fellowship, though this should only be done if there is a genuine, established ministry connection
• Be aware that the charity specifically looks for “godly individuals who wish to minister” - alignment with their Christian mission is essential

The charity has received funds from two other registered charities (HARVEST/CEIFA UK and SUPPORT FOR ROMANIA), indicating they work within interconnected grant networks in the UK-Romania charitable space.

Application Success Factors

Since Romanian Ministries operates through trustee discretion rather than a formal application process, the following factors appear most important:

Alignment with Mission:

The charity is explicitly focused on Christian ministry and poverty relief. Projects must serve one or both of these purposes among Romanian-speaking people or in Romania.

Direct Assessment:

As stated in their approach, trustees make “regular visits” to identify needs and assess individuals. Being already active “on the ground” in Romania appears essential - the charity supports existing work rather than funding new initiatives from unknown sources.

Character and Calling:

The charity specifically seeks to identify “godly individuals who wish to minister in a particular area,” suggesting that personal character, spiritual calling, and clear ministry focus are key criteria.

Demonstrated Need:

The charity operates by disbursing funds "in accordance with their needs and the Lord's leading" - demonstrated financial need for legitimate ministry purposes appears central to their decision-making.

Target Populations:

Work with underserved populations appears particularly aligned with their mission:

• Street children (five years upward, living on streets or in state shelters)
• “Necautati” prisoners (never visited)
• Roma communities
• Cancer patients lacking palliative care (only 8% can access needed services)

Sustainable Approaches:

The charity has invested in income-generating projects (land and greenhouses) to provide locally sourced income, suggesting they value sustainability alongside direct relief.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public applications: This is not a funder you can apply to directly; they identify and approach projects rather than vice versa
• Relationship-based: All funding flows through established networks and trustee-identified opportunities
• Dual mission essential: Projects must serve both Christian ministry and poverty relief purposes
• Romania-focused: All work must benefit Romanian-speaking people or take place in Romania
• Trustee discretion: Decision-making is through "the Lord's leading" as discerned by trustees during regular Romania visits
• Network connections matter: Being recommended by existing supported projects or known within Romanian Christian circles appears to be the pathway to support
• Established work preferred: The charity appears to support ongoing ministries rather than funding startup projects from unknown entities

References

1. Charity Commission Register - Romanian Ministries Full Details -
2. Charity Commission Register - Romanian Ministries Overview -
3. Romanian Ministries Official Website -
4. Evangelical Times - “Romania - an unfinished mission” - Article featuring Adrian Carey-Jones and work of Romanian Ministries
5. Buckingham Chapel - Adrian Carey-Jones Missionary Profile -
6. Romanian Ministries - Ministries Page -
7. Romanian Ministries - Contact Page -