Stephen Baldwin in Bulgaria
Stephen Baldwin has been in Bulgaria filming one of his latest movies, The Harpy to be released in 2007. It is becoming an annual tradition for the Hollywood actor and producer to visit the country. He is a newly born again Christian who, among his many titles, is the director, co-producer and host of Livin’ It, a Christian based broadcast which features extreme sport athletes. This show is the newest addition to the worldwide ministry of the Luis Palau Association. While in the capital of Sofia, He and his wife Kennya Deodato visited with several churches. When in attendance with the Blaga Vest Church in Sofia, the secular television station, bTV filmed the service with Baldwin testifying and aired it later that night.
At New Wave Again
New Wave is a Bulgarian based movement which calls Christian youth for a nationwide gathering every couple of months. The movement which begun several years ago, has grown to be a national phenomenon where youth from all over the country can come and experience the power of God.
We were first invited to present www.bibliata.com and other projects of ours at New Wave in March, 2006. At the end of June, we spoke on their web radio station and were invited for a second presentation. We were able to respond as we traveled to the Sarafovo youth camp, near the Black Sea port city of Bourgas where New Wave was held. Five from our team were able to attend the presentation: Mitko, who heads the GSM Bible project, Dani who supervises the Constantinople Bible project, Vladi, who works with the CLC bookstore bus, Kathryn and myself. We presented three of our newest projects: (1) the national Christian news database, (2) the website for audio and video sermons and (3) the Bibliata.com web radio station. During our time we also spoke to the youth concerning their priorities and about walking the waves of life with the greatest of Wave Walker, Jesus Christ. We were able to meet with many of our partners in ministry and most important of all with the people who visit and use our websites every day
Meeting the NATO Chaplain
After an endless number of protocol procedures, we were finally able to meet with the NATO chaplain in the Bezmer Airbase near Yambol. Chaplain (Maj.) David G. Waweru is a Kenyan national who serves in the United States mission to Bulgaria. He has spent the past two years stationed in Germany and has served in Iraq. This is his second trip to Bulgaria as part of a united training exercise between the United States’, Bulgarian and Romanian army forces and he is hoping to come back next year for a longer period of time.
Chaplain Waweru and his assistant met us at the gate of the Bezmer Airbase and we were able to spend time discussing a wide range of current issues such as: United States military presence in the country, army morale, integration of military models in the joint forces, the role of the chaplain, the Bulgarian attitude toward war, the NATO bases and chaplains in the Bulgarian Army. Some helpful points were reached on the expected visit of United States Chief Chaplain to Bulgaria. We also spoke about the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association and the training course that it will offer through the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute in the fall. We agreed to pass information through the chain of command and work toward future mutual projects.
More Services in Yambol
After so many years away from my hometown Yambol, I have been privileged to preach a number of services that are now turning into a series of evangelistic events. The last one was on July 19, 2006 as the pastor asked me to prepare a message on the concluding chapter of I Corinthians as a part of the church’s annual Bible book study. Our response was to present an in-depth study of the chapter focusing on giving, women in ministry, true apostleship and expectance of the Lord’s return. All of these issues have been and remain critical for the Bulgarian evangelical church. Therefore, the message used some elements of our common protestant heritage in Bulgaria to identify the issues with their theological and practical resolving not only in the local congregation, but in the movement as a whole.
Services in Varna
Immediately after returning from our trip to Pravetz, Etropole, Yablanitza and Sofia we departed to Varna for another ministry opportunity. It was there that we met with the local chaplaincy chapter and discussed with them some of the upcoming events in regard to the chaplaincy ministry in Bulgaria.
We were also able to meet with the founders of the New Wave youth movement to discuss some opportunities for the upcoming New Wave rally. Afterwards, we were given the opportunity to speak on their live radio show and respond to questions from the listeners.
On the following day, we ministered at the Varna Pentecostal Church, where we have minister before. We enjoyed our time there, as the Varna Church and its pastor have always been gracious hosts when we visit Varna and has become our long-term partner in the ministry of the Gospel and contributor to many of our ministry websites.
Chaplaincy Developments in Bulgaria
Just days before US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice arrived in Bulgaria, our team was called to the ancient Bulgarian capital of Veliko Tarnovo where we met with the regional leaders of the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association. This was our second meeting with the Association which was officially introduced in 2005 at a similar national convention. We were asked to present the curriculum of a new chaplaincy class to be offered this fall as part of the Theological Institute’s masters program. The need of such education is well understood as the chaplaincy movement in Bulgaria is rapidly gaining influence in the context of Bulgaria-NATO relations. Eastern Orthodox circles are already talking about implementing their own priests into the new army structures, as the government is secretly subsidizing the building of Eastern Orthodox churches in at least two military schools. Meanwhile, active Evangelical chaplains were denied political defense in Brussels with the argument that the lack of legal procedure for training and implementing chaplains within military units, cannot be classified as restriction of religious freedom or intolerance toward Protestant ministers.
Nevertheless, such limitations can hardly limit the spreading wave of chaplaincy advocacy as many organized and independent groups are putting strong pressure for change. In March 2006, the Church of God in Bulgaria held a successful weekend seminar for prison chaplains which involved a number of Bulgarian prison directors. Subsequently, this week Nova TV aired an interview with a well-known evangelical chaplain who has worked for many years with the Sofia prison system. In this context, the chaplaincy meeting in Veliko Tarnovo was one more step closer to an adequate legal system allowing chaplaincy in Bulgaria and more specifically in the Bulgarian Army. We have also released a website dedicated to the work and ministry of the chaplain.
The reform within the Bulgarian Army anticipates the implementation of chaplains. As U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice finishes her visit in Bulgaria to ratify the agreement for NATO bases on Bulgarian soil, this long-expected opportunity for ministry within the Bulgarian Army may finally become a reality.
Back to Bulgaria Again
With a desire to return back to Bulgaria for another term of ministry, we did not know when or how it would come to be. After much prayer and belief that 2006 is our year of promise, we took a step of faith to do what seamed to be impossible and began to prepare for our trip to Bulgaria. After taking this step, miracle after miracle took place in our lives.After much traveling and ministering in North America, we were finally able to return to the small Eastern European country of Bulgaria where our team has established a permanent location for ministry work. Once again we are here in Bulgaria and door after door is being opened. We could have never imagined or planned what has already taken place just in this first month.
The power of God never ceases to amaze. We are going beyond the church walls into the market places. We are going beyond denominational barriers into the churches regardless of the name on the front door. We are going beyond the possible and allowing God to be our guide in the realm of the impossible. We have found that when we take a leap of faith, God is always faithful in His promise to provide for his children. His promises are ones we can stand upon. If we disregard what is possible and what is impossible and go where He leads, we will find that there is no impossible when God is involved.
U.S. Bases in Bulgaria
Bulgaria and the US reached a final agreement allowing the US military to use several military bases in Bulgaria.
The news was broken by Bulgaria’s Ambassador to NATO Lyubomir Ivanov and US Ambassador to Sofia John Beyrle, who told journalists that if the agreement is signed by April the first US soldiers will come to Bulgaria in 2007.
The agreement should be signed by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice when she visits the country for a summit of NATO foreign ministers in April, Ivanov explained. The US will be able to use three Bulgarian military bases – the Novo Selo range and the Bezmer both near the city of Yambol and close to Bulgaria’s border with Turkey, and the Graf Ignatievo airfield in central Bulgaria. US forces will also use a storage facility near Bulgaria’s port of Burgas. The bases will be used for the training of 2000 to 3000 US soldiers.The agreement, which will be valid for 10 years, must be ratified by Bulgaria’s parliament. It provides mechanisms for bilateral consultations over the actions of the US forces in Bulgaria. According to the agreement if an American soldier commits a crime on Bulgaria’s territory, he will be sued according to local laws. Washington will also inform Sofia about the actions of the US army that concern the bases in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria’s Defence Minister Vesselin Bliznakov commented that Bulgaria’s flag will be raised in the bases. The location of the US bases in Bulgaria has faced the strong opposition of nationalistic formation Attack (Ataka), whose members left Parliament to stage rallies across the country against the bases.In the context of ministry, the reformation within the Bulgarian Army anticipates the implementation of chaplains. This long-expected opportunity for ministry within the Bulgarian Army may become a reality when U.S. forces integrate with Bulgarian military units on Bulgarian soil.
