3 Decades Later: Evangelical Education in Bulgaria at Halt
With the new Bill on Religion in Bulgaria, the Muslim community has been given amnesty on some $4,500,000 of public debt, while granted another $3 million in annual government subsidies. As a result, the monthly salary of Muslim clergy (imams) has already increased with 20% and a new Islamic school is being opened in one of the historically oldest Christian places in Bulgaria, the city of Sliven. All while, the evangelical protestant communities are not receiving financial support under the new law and their schools remain without proper government legalization via the Bulgarian Ministry of Education.
Though this legal precedent follows the Russian Law on Religion that has already effectively closed the evangelical seminaries in Moscow, it is manifesting a political agenda undergoing in Bulgaria for over a decade. What remains unsaid with the recent changes in the Law of Religion in Bulgaria is the ultimate halt of evangelical education in the country. The Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute has been functioning at its operational minimum for years now. Students are trained mainly online or via small local groups spread in various cities. They are called to the school departments only for graduation or occasionally lectures by visiting scholars. Even after years of waiting, the Institute was never granted official accreditation through Bulgaria’s Ministry of Education and most of the students preferred getting their degrees from other accredited and licensed institutions. Less than 1% of the students who were not in ministry at the time of their enrollment entered the ministry post graduation. And even fewer of them remain in ministry today; which ultimately ensures the lack of adequately trained ministers for placement in the evangelical churches of Bulgaria.
The last Bulgarian to graduate from the Church of God Theological Seminary did so over a decade ago, and 2009 was the last class of the Bulgarian Theological College (seminary). One of the greatest mistakes made was closing the college in 2009, thus leaving the movement with virtually no higher ministry training for the last decade.
We were present at the national meeting of elders on September 10, 2009 in Sofia when the final decision to close the Church of God Theological College was voted. Only a few others along with us disagreed with the vote and pleaded with the assembly to make everything possible and keep the school open. At the final vote, it came down to a few thousand dollars due in annual membership fees and the school was closed.
Five years prior to these events in 2004, we published an article on evangelical education in Bulgaria with some warnings. The article proposed a change of the evangelical educational paradigm in anticipation of new legal changes and the prolonged waiting for a governmental accreditation. In fact, the same issues addressed in our proposal repeated themselves in 2016 upon Russia changing its own legislation on religion and religious education thus effectively illegalizing evangelical seminaries and overall missionary work. Today, similar legal measures are put in place by the Bulgarian government as well.
The final of our 10-point proposed plan in 2004 included the following observation:
- Naturally, the well-educated graduates have chosen not to occupy themselves with denominational politics both to avoid confrontation and to express their disagreement. This dynamic has been partially ignored by leadership remaining from the period of the underground church when religious education was virtually nonexistent and lacking a complete realization of the power of education. This unnoticed trend, however, endangers Bulgarian Evangelism creating a lack of continuity within the leadership and preparing the context for the emerging leadership crises.
With the new Bill on Religion in Bulgaria closely following the effective closure of evangelical seminaries in Moscow, the opportunity for a government recognized ministerial training in Bulgaria may be legally impossible to regain. In the light of those resent changes, our 2004 proposal for a legal ministry training alternative was successfully implemented and used for our Master of Chaplaincy Ministry graduates since 2009 providing a single valid alternative for evangelical education in Bulgaria.
First Day of School in Bulgaria
Deadly floods hit Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria
A catastrophic flooding event is unfolding in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria amid an extreme weather pattern in Europe that is bringing exceptional heat over a swath of the continent after just spurring a deadly deluge in Spain.
- 7 deaths were reported in Turkey; five people died in a flash flood at campsite in northwestern Turkey and two died in Istanbul amid raging floodwaters.
- 3 deaths were reported in Greece in the port city of Volos and in Karditsa, to the west, and three people were reported missing.
- 4 deaths were report in Bulgaria.
Heat dome parked over western Europe
At the center of what is known as a “blocking pattern” is a heat dome over western Europe that is spreading record warmth across much of the continent. Heat domes are sprawling areas of high pressure that can trap heat beneath them for days, weeks or — in the case of the southern tier of the United States this summer — even months.
The US Plans Cooperation with Bulgaria
The US plans to deepen its cooperation with Bulgaria, Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine and Romania. This is clear from the “Black Sea Security Act” introduced in the US Congress.
The document states that the priority will be activities such as intelligence and monitoring of Russian operations in the Black Sea region, the creation of an international headquarters to be responsible for the planning, preparation, implementation and coordination of multinational military forces. Fighting Russian disinformation with the support of the United States is also part of the priorities.
The document recognizes the Black Sea region as an arena of Russian aggression and declares that it is in the interest of the United States to support efforts to prevent the spread of further armed conflict in Europe.
The US ambassador to Bulgaria, Kenneth Merten, recently recalled the document, saying that the document will focus the issues of the region, because there are serious problems in certain parts of the Black Sea.
The second 10 days of the extended Russian military exercise in the economic zone of Bulgaria are currently underway.
Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Bulgaria Renewed
Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Bulgaria Renewed (2010-2023)
We are proud to announce that the Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program, we designed and launched in Bulgaria in 2006, has been selected to be part of the Social Service Program of New Bulgarian University. After being for years a valuable part of the regular curriculum of the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute and the St. Trivelius Institute in the capital Sofia, the chaplaincy program has received the highest level of recognition as successful graduates will be finally able to receive government recognized degrees and apply their knowledge and training in chaplaincy on a professional level. The chaplaincy program can also serve within the Integration Proposal of local NATO programs and be instrumental in dealing with the enormous wave of Middle East migrants crossing through Bulgaria today.
Although the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association emerges from and ministers within the Bulgarian cultural context, it is designed for integral cooperation with organizations of various origins. This advantage comes from the experience of previous working relationships that the organizations represented within the Association have had with other non-Bulgarian organizations. The vision, structure and operation of the Association incorporate and comply with western styles of chaplaincy work on three levels (1) cultural, (2) educational and (3) governmental.
The cultural heritage of the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association represents a valuable environment for integration of NATO forces within the local cultural setting. On a cultural level, various events and activities such as English speaking church services, fellowship of soldiers with local communities, hospitals, orphanages and other cultural experiences are available. Humanitarian aid projects are among the most efficient manner for integration within the local community.
On an educational level, there are possibilities on both sides. For example, Bulgarian language courses for the soldiers and English language courses for the local community could be implemented. The most important element within the education strategy perhaps may be education of chaplaincy workers, especially in the current context when Bulgaria is in a need of trained crisis counselors for cases of floods and other natural disasters. Finally, local and national government relations will assist in the change of the status of chaplaincy within the Bulgarian Army. Such an approach will have positive political implications, as chaplaincy becomes a mediator between the army, church and government.
The presented proposal integrates religious moral issues along with socio-political principles in the idea for chaplaincy within the Bulgarian Army. The implications of these principles project involvement of local NATO units in partnership with local Bulgarian organizations. In the case of chaplaincy within the Bulgarian Army, the proposed organization is the newly established Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association. Although political, social and economical issues remain in the scope of its work, the Association’s main priority is the renewal of spirituality within the army structure through cutting-edge chaplaincy ministry beyond the ecclesial gates into a world of war and insecurity. The Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association acts as an agent of spiritual restoration targeting morality within the Bulgarian Army with the Bulgarian chaplain as the key element in this process. For an army without spirituality is no army at all.
Chronology of Events:
2018 The Road toward a Balkan Multi-Ministry Center and Legal Status
2017 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association: Legal Case Renewed
2015 Revisting the Integration Proposal with Local NATO Programs by Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association
2014 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association: Vision and Resolution Reaffirmed
2012 First Class of the Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program
2011 Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program Continues
2010 Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program begins in Sofia, Bulgaria
2009 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association holds an introductory chaplaincy course in Yambol, Bulgaria
2008 The Case of a NATO Chaplaincy Model within the Bulgarian Army released
2007 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations Recognized by U.S. Department of State
2006 Registration for the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association Rejected by Bulgarian Court
2005 The Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association presented before the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance
2004 Three U.S. Bases in Bulgaria to be Built by 2010
2003 The Case of a NATO Chaplaincy Model within the Bulgarian Army
2002 First Balkan Chaplaincy Conference at the Central Church of God in Sofia, Bulgaria
2001 Church of God Chaplaincy Commission to visit Bulgaria
2000 Euro-seminar: Christian ethics in the military forces
1997 First Military Ministry Seminar in Veliko Tarnovo
The fall of the Berlin Wall introduced a new reality that Bulgaria was not prepared to embrace. The end of Communism was unable to tear down the communist mentality. Today, an entire Bulgarian generation lives with the scars inflicted by their experience under years of the Communist Regime, while another generation lives with an immense historical gap that has formed a new political, social, economical and cultural reality.
Three points are worth noting about Bulgaria’s Postcommunist context. First, in the beginning of the 21st century Bulgaria is left with armed forces, which were organized and influenced by the Soviet model and still act accordingly. The bureaucratic infrastructure disallows and discourages any changes apart from carefully chosen decisions that keep the army’s activities to the minimum possible. The two main factors needed for any change to occur, namely decision-making processes and chain of command, still operate under an Eastern Soviet paradigm.
Second, atheistic morale has gained the status of a positive military qualification in the Bulgarian military. This may sound familiar for any given army; however, in most cases it replaces a religious attitude with an atheistic one. In the Postcommunist context, atheistic beliefs pervade and even when a soldier experiences a genuine need for spirituality, in most cases s/he has no religious root to which to return. This lack of alternative or spiritual choice results in a pessimistic morale, intensified by the required mandatory military services.
Third, a Postcommunist mentality with definite Balkan characteristics rules not only the army but also the country as a whole. The economical, political and cultural crises have remained an undividable part of Bulgaria’s reality in the past 16 years. There, Postcommunist mentality holds captive every progressive thought and idea.
It is natural to conclude that the active solider within the Bulgarian Armed Forces is left without much choice when it comes to his/her personal and spiritual development. A positive career development is possible only when pressed by the economical factors one accepts to be part of a highly inactive bureaucratic machine. On the other hand, any attempt for spiritual growth is constrained and receives little privilege to become fully expressed. Naturally, such dynamics decrease one’s motivation for further development due to the lack of morale emerging from a personal spirituality. And because an army without a spirit is no army at all, the current condition of the Bulgarian Army is in much need of revival.
Also important [click to read]:
- U.S. Department of State recognizes our chaplaincy efforts in Bulgaria
- Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association: Integration Proposal with Local NATO Programs
- Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association: Vision and Resolution
- Chronology of our role and involvement in developing Church of God chaplaincy in Bulgaria since 2001
- Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Bulgaria Reflections
- The Past Decade of Chaplaincy in Bulgaria (2006-2016)
- Related Publications and Presentations by Cup & Cross Ministries International
Bulgaria gets new government
Bulgaria gets new government as former rivals enter uneasy alliance
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s parliament on Tuesday formally approved the country’s new government proposed by the two main political rivals in a bid to end a 30-months-long political crisis, restore stability and spur economic development in the poorest EU member country.
The GERB party of ex-Premier Boyko Borissov, which won the April general election, and the runner-up, the pro-European liberal coalition “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” have agreed to form the first-ever Bulgarian government where the post of prime minister will change hands halfway through.
Lawmakers voted 132-69 to elect Nikolay Denkov, a 60-year-old chemistry professor and former education minister, as prime minister. Denkov is a founding member of the reformist “We Continue the Change” party.
In a separate vote, legislators also approved the Cabinet, in which GERB’s Maria Gabriel, a former European Commissioner, will serve as deputy head of government and foreign minister. After nine months, Denkov and Gabriel will switch positions for the rest of the term.
Global Network of Bulgarian Evangelical Churches outside of Bulgaria (2023 Report)
Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in the European Union (2019)
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Germany
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Spain
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in England
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in France
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Belgium
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Italy
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Cyprus
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Crete
Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in America (2019 Report)
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Chicago (2019 Report)
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Texas (2019 Report)
- Bulgarian Evangelical Churches – West Coast (2019 Report)
- Atlanta (active since 1996)
- Los Angeles (occasional/outreach of the Foursquare Church – Mission Hills, CA)
- Las Vegas (outreach of the Foursquare Church – http://lasvegaschurch.tv)
- San Francisco (occasional/inactive since 2012, Berkeley University/Concord, CA)
Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Canada (2019 Report)
- Toronto (inactive since 2007)
- Toronto/Slavic (active since 2009)
- Montreal (occasional/inactive since 2012)
CURRENTLY INACTIVE CHURCHES/CONGREGATIONS:
- New York, NY (currently inactive)
- Buffalo, NY (occasional/inactive)
- Jacksonville, FL (occasional/inactive since 2014)
- Ft. Lauderdale / Miami (currently inactive)
- Washington State, Seattle area (currently inactive)
- Minneapolis, MN (occasional/inactive since 2015)
READ MORE:
- First Bulgarian Church in Chicago Opened in 1907
- Gateway Cities for Bulgarian Evangelical Churches
- How to Start a Bulgarian Church in America from A-to-Z
- Unrealized Spiritual Harvest as a Paradigm for Cross-Cultural Ministries among Migrant and Disfranchised Ethnic Groups in America Today
160,000 Pentecostals in Bulgaria Reported by the NEW Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism
5th postpandemic elections in Bulgaria for an expert-government
- exPM Borissov wins (26.51%) once again with a mere 1.5% lead
- CHANGE political formation follows closely with 24.54%
- None have enough to form a majority government and will be forced to seek political coalition
- Merely 1/3 of Bulgaria’s population voted, tired of now 5 consecutive elections since 2021 without a wining ruling party or actual government formed as following:
- 2021 April National Parliament election
- 2021 Second National Parliament election
- 2021 Third National Parliament and Presidential elections
- 2022 October elections for 48th National Assembly after the fall of a four-party coalition in June 2022.
- 2023 Fifth National Parliament elections
CEC data as of 5:55 p.m. with 100% of sectional protocols processed in the Regional Election Commissions show that six political formations will enter the 49th National Assembly: GERB – SDS, WCC-DB, “Vazrazhdane”, DPS, BSP and ” There Is Such a People”.
GERB – SDS have 26.51%, or with a 1.93% lead over WCC-DP, which received 24.54% of the votes. The difference between the two leading coalitions is 49,769 votes.
The GERB-SDS coalition improved its result and received 34,734 votes more than in October last year. Now there are 669,361 people who voted for them.
Nearly 2 percent lag behind the first and second according to the results are “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB). They gathered the support of 619,592 voters, but compared to October last year, a drop of nearly 74,000 votes was reported, as the two formations then gathered the total support of 692,000 voters. If we add the percentages of the two formations from October, they are 27.6 percent, but already as a coalition they achieve a 3 percent lower result.
The third political force in yesterday’s elections is the “Vazrazhdane” (Revival) party with 14.15%, followed by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) with 13.72% and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) – with 8.94%.
“There Is Such a People” (TISP) also entered the new parliament, with the party receiving 4.11% of the vote. The trend of the “Vazrazhdane” party, which from the fourth to the third political force, is upward. Now, compared to October, it adds another 102,000 votes to its result, with 357,167 people voting for the formation yesterday.
The results for DPS, compared now and from last year, mark a drop of almost 2 thousand, and the party from third is now fourth. In October, more than 344,000 people voted for DPS, and 346,437 did so a day ago.
For BSP – fifth in terms of results, the support is also falling – from 233 thousand in October to 225 thousand now, which is minus 7 thousand votes.
103,641 voters voted for the sixth formation, which with a high degree of probability falls into the 49th National Assembly – “There Is Such a People”, and in the previous elections, when Trifonov’s party failed to cross the 4 percent barrier, the support was 96 thousand.
The “Bulgarian Rise” party – had 3.08% and the coalition “Levitsata!” (The Left) remain below the 4 percent barrier. – with 2.24%.
Central Election Commission data with processed 100% protocols in the Regional Election Committees of the country
34 Years after Communism…
34 years in 60 seconds at the red-light…
I’m driving slowly in the dark and raining streets of my home town passing through clouds of car smoke. The gypsy ghetto in the outskirts of town is covered with the fog of fires made out of old tires burning in the yards. And the loud music adds that grotesque and gothic nuance to the whole picture with poorly clothed children dancing around the burnings.
The first red light stops me at the entrance to the “more civilized” part of the city. The bright counter right next to it slowly moves through the long 60 seconds while tiredly walking people pass through the intersection to go home and escape the cold rain. The street ahead of me is already covered with dirt and thickening layer of sleet.
This is how I remember Bulgaria of my youth and it seems like nothing has changed in the past 25 years.
The newly elected government just announced its coalition cabinet – next to a dozen like it that had failed in the past two decades. The gas price is holding firmly at $6/gal. and the price of electricity just increased by 10%, while the harsh winter is already knocking at the doors of poor Bulgarian households. A major bank is in collapse threatening to take down the national banking system and create a new crisis much like in Greece. These are the same factors that caused Bulgaria’s major inflation in 1993 and then hyperinflation in 1996-97.
What’s next? Another winter and again a hard one!
Ex-secret police agents are in all three of the coalition parties forming the current government. The ultra nationalistic party called “ATTACK” and the Muslim ethnic minorities party DPS are out for now, but awaiting their move as opposition in the future parliament. At the same time, the new-old prime minister (now in his second term) is already calling for yet another early parliamentarian election in the summer. This is only months after the previous elections in October, 2014 and two years after the ones before them on May 2013.
Every Bulgarian government in the past 25 years has focused on two rather mechanical goals: cardinal socio-economical reforms and battle against communism. The latter is simply unachievable without deep reformative change within the Bulgarian post-communist mentality. The purpose of any reform should be to do exactly that. Instead, what is always changing is the outwardness of the country. The change is only mechanical, but never organic within the country’s heart.
Bulgaria’s mechanical reforms in the past quarter of a century have proven to be only conditional, but never improving the conditions of living. The wellbeing of the individual and the pursuit of happiness, thou much spoken about, are never reached for they never start with the desire to change within the person. For this reason, millions of Bulgarians and their children today work abroad, pursuing another life for another generation.
The stop light in front of me turns green bidding the question where to go next. Every Bulgarian today must make a choice! Or we’ll be still here at the red light in another 25 years from now…
Bulgaria in Pentecostal Theology: A Theology of Encounter
