Changing the Tide in Torino, Italy

An update from Ed O'Mara, our SG Church Planter in Italy...

What do you love about Sovereign Grace: our rich theology walked out in vibrant community, the commitment to build and strengthen interdependent local churches, expository preaching, that we preserve vital biblical doctrines often jettisoned, how the Pastors College and Sovereign Grace Music exalts Christ and equips gospel-ministers? If you are like me you’d say “Yes! All of these things.” In Sovereign Grace, we enjoy a rare jewel that is sadly unavailable in many corners of the earth. One such place is Torino, Italy.

Italy is celebrated for its rich history, friendly people, and unparalleled cuisine. It is also well-known for its deeply entrenched Roman Catholicism. Every city and village in Italy is influenced by the Catholic Church. Though Italy is religious it is also incredibly dark. Less than 1% of its 60 million people understand the gospel. Oppressive traditions strangle out the testimony of Jesus’ sole-sufficiency and replace it with a works-based lie. The young generation rejects faith making Italy a post-Christian, spiritually-dead country. It may surprise you to know that someone is 4 to 10 times more likely to hear the gospel in China, Egypt, or Indonesia than in Italy! Missional efforts to change this tide have been scarce, so few evangelical churches exist and those that do are often theologically askew, territorial, or legalistic. We are not content to see this continue. We intend to fight this decline and spread the hope of Christ’s finished work by planting the first of, Lord willing, many Sovereign Grace churches in Italy.

Torino is Italy’s 4th biggest city and, unlike much of Italy, it has a thriving economy and growing population base. It is attractive to young people due to the large university presence and work opportunities across various business sectors. Given its relative prosperity and demographic advantages, Torino has drawn transplants from other parts of Italy and the rest of Europe, making it a dynamic city with a strong need for local gospel-preaching churches and a strategic position for building a network of churches. Sadly there are very few solid churches in this large city of such significance. We intend to plant in or near the Lingotto neighborhood, a largely residential area with a good cross-section of the population of Torino. Our goal is to reach the students who come from all over Italy and Europe for university, families located in the city, and immigrants who have come to Northern Italy for work. Furthermore, we believe our plant will be a strategic outpost from which to evangelize, equip, and send believers to build an interconnected SGC network in Italy.

This plan has been unfolding for some time. In July 2022, my family (www.omaras.org) relocated from CrossPointe Church in Arnold, Maryland, USA to Italy for a year of learning the language in preparation for church planting. Around the same time Rocco Dalia and his wife Mady (https://roccoandmady.webnode.page/) moved to America to be trained at the SG Pastors College. As we both near the end of our respective training year, the next step is for both the O’Maras and Dalias to move to Torino, which happens this summer. We plan to begin the church planting process in the autumn with a small core team that is currently forming. It is an exciting time as we seek, not only to build the church in Torino, but also to establish a broader SGC-Italia network! It is a tall task, but we believe God will accomplish his purposes through our partnership. We are not building an empire or expressing personal burdens. This is a group project and you too are involved, and we are so grateful for that reality. We labor in partnership for the Lord’s glory and the good of those who respond to the gospel.

Isn’t that another thing we love about Sovereign Grace: we are stronger and more faithful together! So on behalf of Rocco and Mady and my family, thank you! We are grateful for our partnership. Thank you for the ways you are supporting and investing in this work. We would not want to take this step without our SGC family! Please pray for us and consider giving to the European Development Fund and know that your partnership is bearing fruit across the globe!