On January 1, 2016, the ministry of New Hope International became part of the family of ministries associated with the European Christian Mission International. Today, the more than 25 national workers of New Hope Bulgaria, New Hope Hungary, New Hope Romania and New Hope Ukraine, have joined hands with ECMI to bring hope to all of Europe. While the ministry teams of New Hope have successfully become part of the field ministry structures on the field, the New Hope office is now part of the office of ECMI-USA.
Oppressed by Communist tyranny, the underground Church in Eastern Europe endured hardship and persecution for four decades. Nevertheless, the followers of Christ remained steadfast and the Church grew. For almost 20 years, moved by their desperate need for Bibles and Christian literature, Hank Paulson began smuggling these resources into Eastern Europe and convening secret youth camps and training programs to strengthen the Church. In 1989, when the Wall came down, freedoms were restored and a fresh, new ministry, based on two decades of relationships and trust, was launched.
When Christian leaders were asked if help was still needed, their response was a resounding “Yes!” But, they said, “Don’t come and do the job for us, come and train our people so we can make a difference for Christ in our own countries.” In response, New Hope established ministries that would establish and strengthen the church in several former Communist countries. Each New Hope ministry is registered in its own country as a non-profit organization and functions under a board of directors.