Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance

After more than thirteen years of democracy in Bulgaria and after fifty years of Communist persecution, the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance is again officially recognized. The first documents for the existing of the organization are dated from the end of the 19th century. A 1909 document states that in September of the same year the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance held a national conference. The Alliance was formed by the Baptist, Methodist and Congregational churches in Bulgaria including the Theological Seminary in Samokov, the Bulgarian Bible Society and the Society of Bible Distributors as associate member. According to some testimonies, the Alliance was a member of the European Evangelical Alliance; however, no official documentation to prove this was preserved. During the Communist Regime in Bulgaria, the Evangelical Alliance was outlawed. In December of 1989, the Bulgarian Evangelical churches formed an initiative committee to prepare the new bylaws of the Alliance and to encourage the Evangelical churches to work together. The 1989 founding member-churches of the Alliance were Baptist Union, Assemblies of God, Congregations, Methodist and Bulgarian Church of God. The Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance is an official member of the European and World Evangelical Alliances.