Leadership

Alexandru Neagoe has been pastor of Bethel Church since 2000, with primary responsibility for the church’s education department.

In addition to his pastoral work, since 2001 he has also been engaged in teaching in university education, as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Sociology and Psychology and associate professor of the Department of Social Assistance of the West University of Timişoara.

He was also involved in the establishment of the Areopagus Center in Timişoara (1997), of which he holds the position of president.

He received both his BA (1994) and PhD (1998) from London Bible College (Brunel University, London). His doctoral thesis, The Trial of the Gospel: An Apologetic Reading of Luke’s Trial Narratives, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2002 and reprinted in 2005.

He later published other books and specialized articles in the field of theology and social assistance.

He is married to Elena (Nuţi) Neagoe, with whom he has two wonderful children – Tania Carmina and Elias Cadmiel.

Born in Baia Mare on March 26, 1967, into an Orthodox family. He finished high school in Baia Mare and then arrived in Timişoara, where he continued his studies and obtained three degrees:

Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, West University of Timişoara (1992)
Faculty of Sociology, West University of Timişoara (1995)
Faculty of Baptist Pastoral Theology, Emanuel University of Oradea (2005)
He worked as a professor of mathematics and in research in the field of pedagogy. He currently works as a professor of socio-human sciences and theology at the Baptist Theological High School. In 2014 he obtained the title of doctor in theology at the University of Bucharest, with the thesis “The Importance of Christian Principles in Character Formation in the Context of Postmodern Culture in Romania”.

At the age of 27 he received the New Testament baptism at the Baptist Christian Church No. 1 Betel Timişoara. He was elected to serve as a deacon, then as an elder and on May 24, 2009 he was Ordained as a Pastor in the Betel Baptist Church in Timişoara.

He is married to Iuliana, who is a Biology Teacher with a First Degree and a Doctorate. In the church, Iuliana is involved in the Women’s Bible Study Ministry and Catechesis. Their family is blessed with a daughter, Silvia.

Ionuț Pungilă was born on August 17, 1990 in the town of Bănia, located in “Țara Almajului”, Caraș Severin County. He grew up in a family of Baptist believers, and in 2009 he received New Testament baptism at the age of 18, in the “Betel” Baptist Christian Church in Reșița.

Shortly after graduating from high school, he listened to the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry, pursuing his ministry preparation studies at the Baptist Theological Institute in Bucharest, graduating in the class of 2015.

In 2016, he was ordained as a pastor in the “Emanuel” Baptist Church in Carei, serving there as pastor until 2021. At the beginning of 2021, he began pastoral ministry in the church in Tinca, until 2023. At the end of 2023, he was elected as pastor of Bethel Church, with responsibility for the church’s youth ministry department.

In 2014, he married Adela, and together they have three wonderful children: Yanis Natanael, Elias Erik, and Amalia Raisa.