FORMED BY CALLING. SUSTAINED BY PRAYER.

Still Listening for God’s Voice.

For more than two decades, the Roma Bible Union has worked to bring the gospel to Roma communities—not as outsiders with an agenda, but as long-term partners in discipleship, prayer, and mother-tongue ministry.

What began with a survey trip to Croatia in 2001 became a lifelong calling for founders Bob and Nancy Hitching. They saw firsthand the need for the gospel to be shared in a way that Roma people could truly understand—not just linguistically, but culturally and spiritually. Their vision became the cornerstone of RBU: to communicate the love of Christ through Scripture in the Roma’s heart language, and to walk in faithful partnership with Roma believers and leaders.

A LEGACY THAT STILL LEADS

In the early days of RBU, Bob and Nancy developed teaching materials, children’s Bibles, and discipleship programs in the Bajaš dialect of the Roma language—laying the groundwork for what would become a movement of mother-tongue gospel ministry. Over time, RBU expanded into other regions, partnering with Roma pastors, seconded missionaries, and local churches across Southern, Eastern, and Western Europe.

Though the scope of the ministry has shifted and the team has grown smaller, the calling remains unchanged. Bob’s sudden passing in 2024 marked the end of one chapter, but the mission continues—led now by those who served alongside him, and by new voices rising from within the Roma Church itself.

Partnering in Scripture Use

For years, Green Shutters Books, the publishing house of the Roma Bible Union, in partnership with Wycliffe Bible Translators Hungary, OM East (MediaWorks), and the Wycliffe Bible Translators Roma Team of Europe contributed to the development of Roma-language Scripture and Scripture-use materials. This included early New Testament drafts in two Bajaš Roma dialects, resources for UNA Kids’ Clubs, and multiple series of adult discipleship materials.

Although RBU no longer directly translates the Bible into Roma dialects, we remain dedicated to producing Scripture-use materials that support Christian discipleship and children’s Bible literacy—drawing from the translations created by our mission partners. These resources are vital in helping Roma believers engage with God’s Word in the heart language of their mother tongue.

MEET THE TEAM

  • JELLE HUISMAN

    Chairman of the Board | Netherlands

    A theologian and researcher at the Protestant Theological University in Utrecht, and an ordained deacon in the Reformed Episcopal Church, Jelle served alongside RBU as a  missionary in Croatia from 2015–2019. Today, he helps guide the strategic and spiritual direction of RBU while continuing academic work in Bible translation theory.

    “Organizations are usually shaped by the vision of their founder… certainly the case for the Roma Bible Union. In many ways, Bob was an entrepreneur and RBU operated as something like a ‘Business as Mission’ avant la lettre”.

  • NANCY HITCHING

    US Director & Vice Chairman of the Board | Maryland, US

    After co-founding RBU with her husband Bob, Nancy continues to serve as administrator, coordinator, and visionary for RBU’s U.S. operations. She manages donor communication, supports field efforts, and continues her work with UNA Kids’ Club—developing Bible and literacy resources for Roma children in their native languages.

    “We started by listening—and we’re still listening. That’s how this ministry grows.”

  • MIŠA BAKIĆ

    Field Director | Serbia

    Misha leads the work on the ground across Eastern and Western Europe. A Roma pastor, worship leader, and youth pastor in Serbia, he has served with RBU since 2018—discipling leaders, supporting churches, and mentoring the next generation of Roma believers. He also develops resources, teaches across borders, and brings stories and prayer requests to life through the podcast Hey Y’all, It’s Misha.

    “We’re not just planting churches—we’re raising leaders who can disciple others.”

  • KRISTY KOBYLINSKI

    Board Member | Virginia, US

    Kristy brings decades of leadership and service to her role on the RBU board, with a heart for prayer and marginalized communities. She chairs the Prayer Committee and leads initiatives like Prayer Pages, Prayer Live and the RBU 24-Hour Days of Prayer.

    “A Culture of Prayer isn’t just an idea—it’s our spiritual backbone.”

  • PANDY BRAZEAU

    Board Member | Virginia, US

    First introduced to RBU on a short term mission trip in the early days of the Hitchings ministry, Pandy returned again to serve in the Bayash villages with her son. Since then, she has continued to stand as a partner to the mission and its missionaries. As a Senior Manager in the Business Investment Office of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Pandy brings business experience and project development acumen to the board.

    "Once again I am filled with awe at the way God is moving in the Roma communities."

  • NATAŠA AVDAGIĆ

    Board Member | Croatia

    Natasha Avdagić (née Bogdon) was one of the first Bayash people the Hitchings family contacted when they began their ministry. Alongside Bob Hitchings, together they initiated the first draft of the New Testament Bajaš Árgyelán translation in 2004.

    Natasha holds a Croatian Medisinski Sestra degree, which is equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and works within the Croatian healthcare system. She is passionate about helping Roma students and hopes to see more opportunities for them to access higher education and vocational training.

    "Every Roma child should have the opportunity to become what God created them to be – spiritually, physically, intellectually – and one day vocationally."

  • BILJANA NIKOLIĆ

    UNA Kids’ Club Director | Croatia

    For years, Biljana worked with Bob and Nancy in RBU. She is now the Director of the UNA KIDS' CLUB, a Bible and literacy club for Roma children imagined and developed by the Hitchings. Along with her husband, Pastor Denjot Nikolić, she leads the Roma Church in Darda, Croatia. Biljana is also a writer and the author of the illustrated children's book, The Cat and the Custard, which has been translated into several languages.

    "I pray we will one day hear the UNA Kids' Club Motto in every Roma village –"God is for us, not against us!"

GET IN TOUCH

WHAT GUIDES US

RBU is built on seven core ministry pillars, including:

Mother-Tongue Bible & Literacy

Roma-Led Leadership

Valuing Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Nurturing a ‘Culture of Prayer’

Virtual Infrastructure

Interdenominational Collaboration

A Commitment to Own No Property

Our aim is to stay nimble, relational, and deeply rooted in the spiritual and cultural realities of the Roma people.

LOOKING AHEAD

We are not a large organization. We are a faithful few—committed to building long-term relationships, sharing God’s Word in a way that feels like home and family, and empowering Roma leaders to disciple their own communities.

As we look ahead, we see more translation work. More partnerships with local churches. International expansion of UNA KIDS’ CLUBS.

More prayer. And always—more listening.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WORK HAPPENING TODAY?

Check out our podcast, explore our prayer initiatives, or sign up for our email updates below.