The Methodist Mission at the Eve of Bulgaria’s National Liberation

The history of the establishment of the first Bulgarian Protestant churches in Bansko, Merichleri, and Yambol demonstrates that the unforced engagement of Bulgarians in the creation of the first church communities was of decisive importance for the success of the evangelical mission. North of the Balkan Mountains, in the Bulgarian territories under the responsibility of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the process of establishing Bulgarian evangelical churches was significantly slower.

The first church resulting from the work of the Methodist mission was in the city of Tulcea. As early as 1860, Floken succeeded in converting a group of Molokans – a nonconformist Christian movement widespread in Russia during the 19th century – to Methodism. Subsequently, a Methodist congregation was also established in the same city among the German-speaking population. The first Bulgarian converts, however, were won over by Albert Long during his stay in Veliko Tarnovo, and later by Prettiman in Shumen. With the establishment of Methodist missionary stations in Bulgarian towns, and later with the expansion of educational activities associated with them, communities of Bulgarian followers began to form.

After Long and Prettiman withdrew to Constantinople, their efforts were continued by Gavrail Iliev, who settled in Svishtov. After a brief stay there, he began attracting followers, taking every opportunity to travel and preach in other settlements as well.

In 1865, Methodist Bishop Thompson visited the mission and, accompanied by Long, traveled to Tulcea and Svishtov. At the time of this visit, Gavrail Iliev was already serving a group of fifteen individuals who attended his meetings. Encouraged by the success in Tulcea and Svishtov, Bishop Thompson promised to send three new preachers to Tarnovo, Shumen, and Ruse; however, this expansion never materialized.

In 1870, Floken left a replacement from the ranks of Russian Methodists in Tulcea and went to undertake evangelistic work in Ruse. Hostile and aggressive attitudes from some locals in Ruse compelled Floken to depart for America in 1871. In 1872, Long undertook a new tour of Northern Bulgaria and noted the growth of the Methodist work in the Russian Methodist Church in Tulcea and in the congregation led by Gavrail Iliev in Svishtov.

In 1874, Floken returned to Ruse and began theological courses. Among the attendees was Stefan Genchev from Lovech, who was later sent to preach in his hometown, while Gavrail Krastev moved from Svishtov to Pleven. This marked the first significant expansion of Methodist ministry. Some graduates of the Ruse course began serving as traveling booksellers.

That same year, Bulgaria was visited by Harris, the new Methodist bishop responsible for the mission. Following this visit, Pastor Lansbury was permanently assigned to Svishtov and Pastor Chalis to Ruse. The latter’s wife, a physician, provided selfless service to the people of Ruse, removing many obstacles to the spread of the gospel in the city.

In 1876, the first annual conference of the Methodist Church in Bulgaria was held in Ruse. By that time, Methodist ministries among Bulgarians had been established in Svishtov, Ruse, Lovech, Pleven, Orhanie (today Botevgrad), Vidin, and Lom, as well as in numerous smaller settlements (e.g., Aidemir in the Silistra region, among others). Alongside the Methodist missionaries, Bulgarians such as G. Iliev, N. Voynov, Y. Tsvetkov, T. Nachev, T. Nikolov, and Y. Dzhumaliev were active. Despite the considerable spread of ministry and impressive supportive activities, including the establishment of schools, the total number of Bulgarians converted to the evangelical faith through the Methodist mission remained relatively small – approximately one hundred people.

Several factors account for this outcome. First, Methodist missionaries were far less committed to evangelistic activity compared with the missionaries in Southern Bulgaria. Practically, the mission’s success was largely the result of the persistence of Floken and Gavrail Iliev, supported by Dr. Long from a considerable distance. The mission devoted tremendous effort to educational and charitable work, yet this did not engage Bulgarians fully in the evangelical community. The comparatively conservative hierarchical structure of the church likely played a role, in contrast to the congregational churches of Southern Bulgaria, where the very nature of the church relied on the self-governance of Bulgarian evangelical congregations. While evangelical churches in Southern Bulgaria elected their leadership, collectively made important decisions, and actively participated in community building, the Methodists in the north largely remained in the shadow of the initiatives of official church personnel.

Methodist missionaries were far less successful in engaging Bulgarians in church life. Although the missionaries themselves acted as benefactors to many, the Methodist Church was considerably less effective than the Congregationalist Church in attracting Bulgarians to full membership. A substantial portion of Bulgarians who encountered the evangelical message and benefited from the service of Methodist missionaries never took the decisive step of formally joining the Methodist Church.

Dony K. Donev, D.Min., is a prominent researcher and author specializing in Bulgarian Protestant, Evangelical, and Pentecostal history, with over three decades of study. His work, including 19th Century History of Protestantism in Bulgaria and The Unforgotten: Historical and Theological Roots of Pentecostalism in Bulgaria, documents the development of these movements, their suppression under Communism, and the subsequent post-1989 revival.

Key aspects of Donev’s research on Bulgarian Protestant history include:
Origins (19th Century): Protestant work began in the 1800s, with denominations like Congregationalists (1856), Methodists (1857), and Baptists (1865) establishing missions, culminating in the first Bulgarian Protestant Church in 1871. Donev also highlights the 1871 publication of the Protestant Bulgarian Bible translation. His research, often in collaboration with the Institute of Bulgarian Protestant History, has focused on preserving, digitizing, and recovering documents, including church diaries, photographs, and, in some cases, saving records from destruction during the communist era.

Pentecostalism and Growth: The Unforgotten documents the arrival of the Pentecostal movement in Bulgaria, particularly through the influence of the Azusa Street Revival, tracing the roots of early Bulgarian Pentecostal families.
Post-Communist Revival: Donev has documented the rapid growth of the Protestant movement after 1989, noting a significant increase in membership from approximately 13,000 to over 100,000. Dr. Donev has published his dissertation on  on Bulgarian Churches in North America.