Lucian Mustata: The Romanian evangelist reaching thousands for Christ

Ever since evangelist D. L. Moody realised that the music of Ira Sankey was a key element in building a congregation’s response to the Holy Spirit, music has played a key role in mass evangelism. Down through the decades musical styles have continually changed (Dr Billy Graham moving from George Beverly Shea to dcTalk) but music continues to be the spiritual elixir encouraging believers to worship and non-believers to repentance. And now a major Christian festival, Heartbeats, is drawing huge crowds to hear many of the world best known Christian bands and speakers. But contrary to what you may have assumed, Heartbeats isn’t held in the US or UK. It’s Romanian.  

Romania largely escapes the attentive glare of TV’s world news cameras. But having emerged from the iron grip of communism and joined the EU, Romania is now a thriving economic powerhouse.

The religious history of Romania was blighted by communism’s oppression and often brutal opposition and since then has not been helped by intransigent sections of the Greek Orthodox Church which treat evangelicals with great scepticism. Despite this, evangelical churches are springing up all over Romania and Operation World has reported thousands of newly planted churches claiming Romania should be considered “one of the most spiritually receptive nations in Europe.”

Proving this assessment to be true is the 34 year-old businessman Lucian who four years ago started the Heartbeats Festival and has seen it grow to become the biggest Christian event in Eastern Europe.

First off, tell me about your early life. I understand you had a very bad start.

My mother was mentally handicapped and she was raped. She didn’t want the family to know and she threw her baby - me - on the trash. A doctor discovered me and I ended up in an orphanage. It was extremely hard, not to have the love of a father or a mother… I lost my trust in myself. I think why am I living this life? Why do people have sandwiches in break at school, nobody offered me one? Why am I experiencing this poverty? I was working from 14 years-old and I do a lot of jobs. And I know when I am 18 years old I am going to be kicked out onto the streets and I better be prepared for that.

How did you become a Christian?

It was Christmas and being alone at Christmas, because I had no family, it was the hardest moments of my life. I decided to see a carol concert, to not stay alone. But when I was 18 years-old I didn’t have money to go to a Christmas carol concert. I ended up seeing a free one organised by a church.

Romania is heavy Greek Orthodox and in Romania “we are all Christians for Christmas.” Christmas for most of the Romanian people – we are 20 million - this is a matter of religion for everyone. Christmas is more about gifts, party, food, drinking, going to shops, everyone is crazy. But at that concert, the pastor talked about the meaning of Christmas in 15 minutes. I was so shocked, my mind was blown. He explained about the real meaning of Christmas and made me to be conscious of God and the Bible for the first time.

It was a Baptist church and I ended up going every Sunday. In the Orthodox church you can’t understand much. But that church helped me a lot to grow in Christianity. When I went every Sunday I was hungry to learn and a transformation for my life began to take place. I learned to live by faith in the Lord. I received healing, I received peace in my heart, I received miracles and I understood he is my father. That helped me, motivated me and changed my mindset, totally. And I knew God had a plan for my life.

How did you get an education?

I was growing at church. I asked God, “please help me. I have trusted in you. I will do my part.” I borrowed some money but not enough to pay for the whole course. It was so scary. I was in danger of losing my place, my chance for the future. And then on the last day, the lady from the commission I applied to called me and said, “Lucian, over three nights, God has woken me up at three o’clock in the morning. God has told me to pay all your school costs.”

Getting a good education opened doors for you, didn’t it?

Yes, I graduated with a degree in cybernetics from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, followed by two master’s degrees in project management and political science. After that, I was able to start several IT businesses.

How did the Heartbeats Festival start?

God provided me a vision in one of my dreams. He gave me a vision and the name Heartbeats Festival.

In Romania there is a generation of young people who need a real, authentic relationship with God. They don’t like what many of their parents settled for. In a lot of Europe there are people spending a whole bunch of money on clothes, enjoying themselves at festivals. In Romania there are festivals where young people can hear music, do drugs, have what they think is a good time. But the church wasn’t doing anything to help these people - to give them the best music, and speakers and workshops and show them a God who loves them.

So we started Heartbeats and have had three. Each has seen hundreds of people decide to follow Jesus.

Six months after the festival, one church told me they had 200 more people come to their church because of the festival.

It’s starting to become something of a revival in Romania which is becoming one of the most evangelical countries in Europe.

Why aren’t many churches in Romania connecting with young people?

The churches are too conservative, too stuck in the ways of old traditions. We must speak in contemporary language because this generation doesn’t like traditional stuff. They really don’t. It’s a generation who wants a real authentic relationship with God.

If a church, any church, can become alive, it will transform a city, a town or a village. People desperately need Jesus. Only he can give us inner peace. 

You’ve flown in many top US gospel artists for the festival.

Yes, artists who have played Heartbeats include Lecrae, We Are Messengers, Unspoken, Tye Tribett, Planetshakers and many more. And there have been Romanian artists coming through like Filadelfia Music, Creation House and Cristo Centric.

I understand you have given a lot of free tickets to Ukrainian refugees in Romania.

Two million people have come to Romania from Ukraine and we want to serve them. We offer free tickets. We want to be a blessing; they need God now.

Heartbeats is part of a movement. We want to reach at least one million in the next 10 years. We’ve had Heartbeats Festivals in Kenya, South Korea and Brazil and we’re planning more in other nations.

The Church needs to be revived and countless people need to respond to the life-transforming message of Jesus. Our goal and our vision is to reach one million, at least, in next 10 years in Eastern Europe alone.