The Bucharest town hall represented by the City Mayor Prof. Dr. Sorin Oprescu and the Muntania Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, represented by Pastor Lucian Floricel, conference Secretary, Pastor Cristian Modan, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director and Pastor Viorel Dima, signed on Monday, September 28, 2009, an agreement of cooperation.
The agreement establishes partnership in funding and implementation of programs, services or projects and activities of interest to the general public:
• Joint programs in social work and fight against poverty
• Restoration and maintenance of church buildings
• Construction of new churches
• Accomplishment of fire-stop and fire-prevention measures.
At the same meeting representatives of other churches signed similar agreements of cooperation based on possibilities and needs specific to each of them.
"Bucharest Municipality has the duty and the opportunity to help all churches, not only the Orthodox Church as all inhabitants of Bucharest contribute to the local and state budget. It is therefore natural that they receive the same attention, regardless their religion," said Oprescu.
Pastor Lucian Floricel, presented some of the social projects implemented by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bucharest, saying that they could be extended if the church could work together with the local authorities. Oprescu said he was aware of the influence of the Adventist volunteers, stating that they will never forget the impression left by the students participating at the AMiCUS Congress held in Bucharest last year.
"The agreement represents an opportunity for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bucharest to collaborate with a strong institution and to develop more social projects. The Adventist volunteers’ force is remarkable, but collaboration with other institutions and organizations is vital to ensure the projects’ continuity and long-term effects", said Cristian Modan, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director of the Muntania Conference.