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RBU Executive Team
Jella Huisman Chairman of the Board
Nancy Hitching US Director
Miša Bakić Director Field Ministries
Board of Directors
Jella Huisman
Chairman of the Board
My name is Jella Huisman and I have agreed to take over the role of chairman of RBU. Following in the footsteps of Bob is a daunting task, but I can make use of the things I learned from Bob during the 11 years we have worked together. During 2015 - 2019 my family and I have lived and worked in Croatia as RBU missionaries. After our return to The Netherlands I have continued to serve on the board and on various projects with Bob. In RBU we have an executive board focusing on day-to-day issues, in which I work together with Nancy and Misha. Outside RBU, I start a new job at the Protestant Theological University in Utrecht (NL) soon and I continue a research project in the area of Bible Translation.
Nancy Hitching
Vice Chairman of the Board
RBU US Director
My name is Nancy Hitching. Along side my husband Bob Hitching, in 2002 we moved to Croatia and in 2003 we founded the Roma Bible Union in order to reach out to the Bayash Roma of Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia through humanitarian aide, evangelism, church planting, and to educationally assist Bayash children and young people through Bible and Literacy programs and materials and Student Schloarship and Mentorship programs. After Bob's death in July of 2024 I assumed the role of Vice-Chairman of the newly organized RBU Board of Directors. Additional to the Board of Directors role, I assumed the role of the RBU US Director. I continue as an RBU missionary working remotely on the development and training of trainers for the UNA Kids' Club which I developed 20 years ago to bring Bible and Literacy to Roma Children in Central and Southern Europe. I will oversee the day- to-day running of RBU and laison with the Chairman of the Board, the Director of Field Ministries and the RBU Missionaries in Croatia and Serbia. Additionally I will support the work of the RBU supported missionaries through the grapic production of print-based and digital-based teaching material for the various RBU programs which RBU pastors utilize in their church and lay ministries.
Misha Bakic
Director of Field Ministries
My name is Misha Bakić, I am 34 years old, married with a lovely wife and by the grace of God, have two children, daughter, Miriam age 6, and a boy named Benjamin age 2. I had the privilege serving with RBU and under Bob’s leadership and mentorship since 2018 working on many projects, such as: writers training, Pastors and leaders trainings, teaching programs online and in person, translation work, kindergarten ministry, children’s ministry, producing the very first fully written and contextualized Roma Chilren’s Bible and working on my book in regards to my grandmother who was imprisoned by the Nazis and survived Mathausen concentration camp.
By the grace of God, I have a diploma in Christian ministry at Bible college in Adelaide/Australia (PCOM) after which I felt a strong call to come back and serve among my people. I also serve at one of the largest Roma churches in Serbia located in Leskovac as an elder, worship leader and the youth pastor.
By the grace of God, I have a diploma in Christian ministry at Bible college in Adelaide/Australia (PCOM) after which I felt a strong call to come back and serve among my people. I also serve at one of the largest Roma churches in Serbia located in Leskovac as an elder, worship leader and the youth pastor.
Lynneanne Coyle
Board Member
From 1978-1980, I attended Southwestern Assemblies of God Bible College, majoring in Missions and Bible; from there I went on a 3-year missions assignment to Eurasia Teen Challenge in Wiesbaden, Germany, where I met my husband. Over the last 40 years I have always been involved in some type of ministry through our church - my husband and I taught Sunday School together for 5 years and I led Children’s Choirs for many years; I have always been involved in our worship ministry and served as the worship leader for several years. We hosted a weekly small group Bible Study in our home for 15 years and I have been a women’s Bible Study leader for many years. In 2014 the Lord opened the door for me to begin working in an English as a Second Language (ESL) ministry and that has had a major impact on my life and personal ministry plans. In 2022 my husband and I retired from our secular jobs and moved from Northern Virginia to a small town in Arizona called Wickenburg. We’ve become members of a Christian & Missionary Alliance Church where I serve on both the Missions and Hospitality Committees, as well as leading a women’s Bible Study each fall and spring. Our Pastor and I have had conversations about the possibility of my beginning an ESL ministry through the church here and I am praying about whether or not this is something the Lord wants me to do at this time.
Kristy Kobylinski
Board Member
I am delighted to be serving on the RBU US Board of directors. For years, Bob and Nancy, and the Roma ministry have held a special place in my heart. Although I spent the majority of my
working life in various roles of a small aerospace and defense company, my primary passion has been serving community, especially in the area of hurting, and marginalized women. Some of my previous roles in non-profit ministry have included: seven years counseling in a crisis pregnancy center; started and directed an after-school children’s ministry in the public school called “Kids with Purpose” aimed at learning how Jesus served and then participating in service projects in the local community; Served as a prayer minister at Christian Fellowship Church at quarterly “Encounter” conference; Worked with outreach pastor at previous church, Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA, to transform existing benevolence ministry into a relational ministry called “Friends and Neighbors.” Recruited and trained volunteers (Friends) to conduct intakes and form healthy relationships with community members (Neighbors) who had applied for church assistance.
I find deep joy in spending time in God’s presence in his word and in his creation and love to share and discuss His Story with anyone who shares that desire.
In 2020, we relocated to Central Virginia. I am currently involved in a few study groups in the
community and hoping to get more involved with the campus ministry at the University of Virginia, with mentoring and potential study group opportunities. I look forward to serving on the RBU Board Prayer Committee to facilitate Board and Donor Days of Prayer and Live Stream RBU Prayer Meetings.
Pandy Brazeau Board Member
Natasha Avdagić Board Member
Committees and Ministry Leadership
RBU Prayer Committee
Nancy Hitching
Kristy Kobylinski
Lynneanne Coyle
Ministry Leaders
Pastor Đena Nikolić - Pastor of Roma Church in Dardar,East Croatia
Miša Bakić UNA KID'S KLUB Serbian Leader, KASKADA Magazine Leader, Patoral & Lay Training –
Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Germany.
Biljana Nikolić UNA KID'S'KLUB Croatian Leader
The History of Roma Bible Union
In the summer of 2001, after receiving an emotionally moving photo of a Roma woman sadly looking on as her little child received a Humanitarian Aide Christmas Gift Box in a desolate village in North Eastern Croatia, Nancy Hitching visited the region on a survey trip. The goal of Nancy's visits was to assess the ministry potential and opportunities for evangelization, humanitarian aide, church planting, and discipleship to the Bajaš people of Central and Southern Europe. Addtionally, she considered the the possibility of the development, distribution, and implementation of Bible and Literacy mother tongue materials and projects. Bob and Nancy's vision was to bring the Light of the Gospel to the villages, families, and spirits of the Bajaš Roma in Croatia and Serbia – and to do so in Bajaš, the language of their home and heart.
In the early days of their ministry prior to the formation of RBU, Nancy visited families in the Roma settlements of Croatia. It was during this time Bob and Nancy's ministry to the Bajaš people, the Roma Bible Union [RBU] was born.
In 2002 Bob and Nancy made first contact with the Bayash Roma at a deeper level when God brought Natasha Bogdan, now Avdagić, and her family into thier lives. Over the following years, through Natasha and her family's help with translation and advocacy, the first steps of the Bayash Bible translation came into being, the first Bayash language Children's Bible was translated, printed and distributed, the UNA Kid's Club was founded, and the Young Roma Student Scholarship and Mentoring programme was born from which many Roma young people over the years have been supported in their studies and have eventually completed higher degrees in nursing, teaching, and business. Natasha herself amoung them having received the equivilant of a Pediatric Nurse Practicioner.
Bob and Natasha Bogdon initiated the Bible translation draft for the Bajaš Roma People of Croatia and Serbia.
Bob and Nancy produced a Bajaš Children's Bible and distributed copies of it in Bajaš Roma settlements all over Croatia and Serbia. It was this project that launched the future focus of the Roma Bible Union – Mother Tongue Bible, Discipleship, and Literacy. Bob and Nancy never looked back. Hundreds of copies of the Bajaš Children's Bible were distributed throughout the region.
In the earliest days of their ministry, Bob and Nancy experimented with Childrens' Ministry in scores of Bajaš Roma settlements across Međimurje and Podrovenia counties in Croatia ...and then the UNA Kid's Club was Born!
UNA KID'S CLUB – A Bible and Literacy Club for preschool and elementary school age Roma children. UNA Clubs and UNA Festivals began in Roma villages and Churches in Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro. Monthly UNA Kids'Clubs and Yearly 3-day UNA Festivals brought Bible stories, Crafts, Games, Songs, a meal, Dramas, and Bible Literacy Coloring Books to thousands of Roma children throughout Central and Southern Europe over a 20 period.
My name is.....
SERBIAN ROMA UNA CLUB 3-Day FESTIVAL
Eastern Croatia UNA KID'S CLUB 3-DAY FESTIVAL
Western Croatia Bajaš children's UNA KID'S CLUB
UNA CLUB BIBLE & LITERACY COLORING BOOKS
After the first year of ministry, Bob and Nancy began to learn the Bayash Roma language and to develop and publish materials in the mother tongue of the Bayash people. In 2002 Bob began communicating to RBU donors, churches and friends of the ministry through the bi-weekly ROMA DIARY in which the spirital and ministry narrative of Bob and Nancy was shared alongside requests for prayer for the ministry and financial support for the missionaries who began to work alongside Bob and Nancy. Today this publication continues and a subscription may be requested and past issues read here.
On the ground ministry, Nancy taught emergent literacy, Bible stories, and gospel songs to the Bajaš Roma children of Western Croatia.
The ministry was originally based in West Croatia and then branched out into East Croatia, Hungary and Serbia.
Over the years, the Hitching partnered with Roma pastors and lay workers and other faith-based organizations in Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Montinegro, Bulgaria, and Romania to build a branded ministry which included mother tongue Bible and literacy programs and materials, teaching materials for pastors and youth workers, and included the publication of evangelization, disciplieship, and literacy text-based and digital materials.
In 2022, Serbian Arli Roma Christian leader, Miša Bakić, who had worked with The Roma Bible Union for some years, was appointed as Associate General Director of RBU and became responsible for all ministry projects not related to the Bajaš Roma.
Misha Bakiċ Past Associate General Director, now RBU Director of Field Ministries 2024
In 2022, Bob and Nancy moved their ministry center of gravity to Osijek in Eastern Croatia and live within 30 minutes of the Hungarian, Serbian and Bosnian borders. There Bob ministered as a parish priest to the Kapelna Reformed Episcopal Church of Croatia focusing upon the raising up of the Bayash Church and developing novel mission strategies for the 21st century emerging neo-pagan creative spiritualities.
During this period, Nancy continued the development of the UNA Kids' Club Bible and Literacy materials and focused on building the RBU Board and creating Board sub-committees.
RBU continues to develop, translate, and Produce multi-lingual and multi-script Bible, discipleship, literacy and teaching materials for Roma Pastors, Teachers and Church Workers.
Bob and Nancy both have had independent writing and teaching ministries since the beginning of their time in Eastern and Southern Europe. Bob was the author of several books and held a Masters in Theology and a ThD in Theology. Bob's academic papers may be found on Academia.edu. During Bob's time in Roma ministry, he was ordained by Rev. Dr. Bishop Jasmin Milić of the Reformed Episcopal Church of Croatia (REC) and subsequently served as a lay reader, deacon, and then as a parish priest . As a parish priest, Bob served the Roma, Serbian, and Croatian community in the REC Church in Kapelna, Croatia.
Nancy is a philosophical theologian holding a Masters in Orthodox Theology and currently is a PhD candidate in Orthodox Theology at University of Winchester, UK. Nancy's Masters Thesis is readable here. Nancy also has authored several children's illustrated books for early literacy readers.
Sadly and unexpectedly, on July 16, 2024 Bob Hitching suddenly passed away. The legacy of his founding vision for the Roma Bible Union is being carried on by his wife Nancy Hitching alongside the RBU Executive Team – Jella Husiman and Misha Bakic. Nancy assumes the role of RBU US Director as well as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jella Huisman assumes the role of RBU Chairman of the Board as well as the archivist of Bob's intellectual property which over time will from the Bob Hitching Library Archive. Miša Bakić has stepped up to assume the RBU Director of Field Ministry role and is responsible to oversee the RBU Missionaries and Ministries in the Fields of Croatia, Serbia, with the goal of expanding RBU ministries and programs into other South European regions.
The Seven Ministry Pillars Of The Roma Bible Union
To Function As A Mother Tongue Ministry Advocate
The vision of RBU is to provide ministry projects, platforms and initiatives in the mother tongues of majority and minority languages and through training to make those resources available and deployable by pastors and lay workers in Roma churches and ministries in Eastern and Southern Europe.
To Own No Property
Due to the ever changing nature of the geographic scope of the ministry we are committed to not be forced into a geostrategic location by the ownership of property
To Function As A Virtual Administrative Structure
Our ability to be stealth, nimble and rapid response in belief and practice we have chosen to minimise costs and layers of bureaucracy by functioning at the Administrative level within a virtual framework.
To Build Ministry Around The Concept Of Brands
To build branded ministry modalities around a methodology of INNOVATION, INCUBATION AND DUPLICATION. To deliver training of the RBU Brands – UNA KIDS CLUB, KASKADA, ARATA, CAFE CHURCH – when possible through virtual training centers.
To Function With A Seamless Orientation Concerning Real-Time And Space And Collapsed Time And Space
We see the new European consciousness – and subsequently ministries engaging that consciousness – as being sustained via a thoughtful and necessary integration of the blending of analog and digital presentations. This is a reality which is reflected in all our ministry projects.
To Hold To A Non-Denominational And Inter-Denominational View Of The Church
We hold very strongly to the conviction that the categories that have dominated Christianity since the 16th Century are moving into irrelevance.
To Be In A Position To Disband Quickly And Realign Ministry Brands
We believe that we should be in a position to disband very quickly at both the project level and also at the meta level. In short, we can disband RBU quickly if God leads us to with all the ministry projects and Brands being placed into other ministries.