Mission Maranatha – Bulgaria

Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the world has witnessed a miracle. In the corner of Europe, coming out from the severe Communist persecution and surrounded by the Balkan religious wars, one growing group of Christians is making a difference for the Kingdom of God. Placed on the crossroad of three world religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) and three continents (Europe, Africa and Asia), the country of Bulgarian has experienced an on-going spiritual revival in which hundreds of thousands of people have been touched by the power of God. But this miracle is not over just yet. Revival must go on …

In 1996 Mission Maranatha began a powerful and effective ministry in the area of Yambol City. The mission has been laboring in eleven churches, two of which were started by the Home Mission Team of Life of Christ Church of God in 1996-97. The humble work with the two small congregations has continuously grown to be a regional network of true apostolic churches, several of which were founded in villages where there has never been a Protestant church before. The total membership in the churches is over 300 which has been made possible through the powerful outreach ministries to orphans and widows that has touched both individuals and communities in a time of deep economical, political and social crises in Bulgaria.

The itinerary of the small mission team contains the minimum of four weekly trips to villages in the area. They often hold up to twenty services per week as the team is always open for new opportunities for ministry. Their church meetings are often accompanied with miracles and healings, which has drawn many new converts.

Naturally, besides converts and friends the magnitude of the work has drawn much opposition. It comes predominantly from Eastern Orthodox priests and believers, who are part of the traditional religious orientation of Bulgaria. Acting contrary to the established laws and constitutional rights, a nationalistic political organization that deliberately opposes Protestantism has brought a number of threats and manipulation against the outreach work of the church network. Despite the numerous external obstacles and financial difficulties, the work is continuously growing. The members of the team are regularly writing to both Christian and secular newspapers informing of their work. They are often asked to speak about their work at seminars and church meetings, and hold a weekly program on the local radio called Pentecost Today.