Bulgarian Police Seizures of Church Properties in Conflict with Religious Freedom Commitments Action Inconsistent with Bulgaria’s OSCE Leadership Position
(Washington) – United States Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) expressed alarm today over the widespread seizure of church properties in Bulgaria, which currently serves as Chair-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Bulgarian authorities raided more than 200 properties used by the alternative Bulgarian Orthodox synod for more than 10 years.
“I’m deeply distressed that Bulgarian police, with the apparent approval of the state prosecutor’s office, would forcibly seize some 200 churches and church-owned properties,” declared Chairman Smith. “While there may be disputes within the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, it is certainly not the proper role of government to interfere with internal church affairs. Unfortunately, Bulgarian authorities have abandoned neutrality and chosen sides, potentially endangering religious freedom.”
News reports indicate that throughout the day on July 21 Bulgarian police across the country expelled members of the alternative Orthodox synod of Bishop Inokentii, taking control of properties used by the synod. A longstanding church dispute between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the alternative synod has existed since they split in 1992.
The raids were discussed with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, visiting Washington last week in his capacity as Chair-in-Office of the OSCE, in a meeting with Chairman Smith.
“Property issues should be decided by a court, not through legislative fiat or the unilateral actions of a state prosecutor and police,” said Chairman Smith. “Considering that Bulgaria is the current OSCE Chair-in-Office, I urge the Bulgarian Government to end this embarrassment, lead by example, and honor its OSCE human rights commitment toward religious freedom.”
“Bulgarian authorities should stop interfering and reinstate to the alternative synod full control of the properties,” Smith added. “The state should play no role in forcibly reconciling the two Orthodox communities.”
These raids are not the first time that the Bulgarian Government has favored one synod over the other. The December 2002 religion law enumerated detailed characteristics of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, thereby establishing the synod of Patriarch Maxim above the alternative synod and all other religious communities. The law also laid the groundwork for the seizures by vesting government recognition and property rights with only the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. This provision works to the detriment of the alternative synod, placing it in a precarious and vulnerable position. The United States Helsinki Commission issued a report on the religion law, highlighting this problematic provision and other shortcomings.
The United States Helsinki Commission, an independent federal agency, by law monitors and encourages progress in implementing provisions of the Helsinki Accords. The Commission, created in 1976, is composed of nine Senators, nine Representatives and one official each from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.
Theology of the Persecuted Church
Theology of the Persecuted Church is a research sequel which introduces the ministry dynamics, spiritual practices and theological formation of the Bulgarian Church of God under the communist Regime.
Part 1: Lord’s Supper
The Church of God in Bulgaria was established in the 1920s with an identical name, but independently from the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). The first connection between the two denominations was established in 1985. During this 65-year period the Church of God in Bulgaria was persecuted by Orthodox and nationalistic organizations until it was outlawed by the Communism Regime in the 1940s. During the years of underground worship, the Church of God has preserved the Lord’s Supper in the grade of authenticity in which it was initially received from the first Pentecostal missionaries.
An essential part of the service is the preparation. Due to the lack of scheduled services in the underground church, the believers depend on the leadership of the Holy Spirit for the exact date of the communion service. This is done with regard to the need of protection from the secret police. Fasting is a required preparation for the service. Due to the lack of meeting place, the actual service takes place at a believer’s home. Sometimes these services have up to fifty people in a small apartment. Worship is quiet, because any loud noise may lead to the appearance of the police. The physical silence, however, does not limit the presence of the Holy Spirit, and even helps the believers to be more sensitive to the voice of God, which is indescribable when taking place as a group experience. The service starts with prayer, which lasts until God reveals the lady whom is to beak the unleavened bread for the communion. During the time of preparation, the minister delivers the communion message.
The altar call, given after the sermon, purposes to prepare the believers for communion. The communion is not given to a person who is not saved, baptized in water and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, after the sermon, a special prayer is offered for repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The author has personally witnessed up to thirty people saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit in a matter of minutes as a result of such a prayer.
The converts are then led to the river and baptized in water. This is done in even in the middle of winter, sometimes the temperature is so low that the minister and his assistants break the ice in order to baptize the converts.
The converts are welcomed back with a special song by the congregation. After extended time of self-examination and request of each believer to be forgiven by the present members of the congregation, the pastor presents the communion to the congregation. One of the unleavened cakes is used as a symbol of the oneness of Christ’s body. The cup of the communion is filled with wine. The roots of this tradition can be traced back to the teachings of the first western missionaries to Bulgaria at the end of the nineteenth century, as well as the influence of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. After communion, men and women are separated for a foot washing service. At the end of the service, all are gathered for an Agape feast, which serves as a conclusion of the communion service.
Church in Polyana
In February 1997 Cup and Cross Ministries visited the village of Polyana for the first time. Due to the lack of building and the resistance of the local authorities to allow us to meat in an available auditorium, the first service there was held in the local bar. As the Lord blessed richly the meeting, 26 were saved and 3 were baptised in the Holy Spirit.
The following week we arrived at the village for another service. The mayor met us personally to let us know that because of different complaints we were restricted from ministering in the area of his jurisdiction. We referred to the National Constitution, which gives officially recognized and registered religious groups and ministries the right to hold meetings and minister. Yet, we were not given the opportunity to preach at Polyana.
Four years later the situation has changed radically. After the Lord touched the mayor and his family, our Mission Team was allowed the freedom to hold meetings in the Polyana village. Due to the lack of own building the team has often held services in the local Orthodox Church, an event which is a precedent for Bulgaria.
The group of believers quickly grew and we had the opportunity to rent the House of Council, a building built for the purposes of the local Communist Structure, for the church meetings. The building has a meeting room, Sunday school room which turns to a children’s church during the service hours, church office and food pantry. The congregation has over 50 members and a number of sympathizers who visit regularly. Each week the Sunday School gathers additional over 20 children in the age of 3-14 years. The children are taught the Bible and fed in the services. We are praying that one day we will have the opportunity to purchase the building to be owned by the church.
20 Ways to Kill Your Church (for Senior Pastors)
1. Abstain from providing a clear vision and strategy fulfilling the mission of the church.
2. Stop encouraging, modeling and promoting prayer, fasting and giving among your congregation.
3. Do not allow different church ministries to participate in the budget formation and benefit from it.
4. Ignore or get rid of your problems and conflict situations instead of solving them by taking a conscious stand on the issue.
5. Keep communication and relationships to the minimum.
6. Provide minimum attention to your family.
7. Quench the Spirit.
8. Assume that people are not intelligent enough to mind manipulation.
9. Do not invest time, efforts and resources in the future growth of the church.
10. Get your church into the maximum possible debt.
11. Pay no attention to the cultural diversity and socio-economical developments in your community.
12. Do not designate any authority to others.
13. Use people without liberating them for spiritual growth.
14. Quit being yourself.
15. Take advice from no one.
16. Be political through manipulation and deceit.
17. Burn out people without any plans for restoration.
18. Never get personal or show your humanity with your people.
19. Allow no room for supernatural intervention.
20. Assume zero responsibility for your actions and decisions.
40 False Beliefs of the Church of the 21st Century
1. That Christianity is a religion and social status, rather than a personal life of holiness and relationship with God.
2. That Christians need standards and rules other than the Bible in order to live a Christian life.
3. That the divinely inspired text of the Bible needs human additions and alterations.
4. That the practices described by the Bible are not for today, as if the Bible is wrong.
5. That Christianity is religion for the weak.
6. That governments and countries are responsible for the growth and prosperity of the church.
7. That we must accept the world in order that the world accepts us.
8. That Postmodernity is Biblical teaching.
9. That the evolution theory is compatible with the Biblical teaching of the Creation.
10. That God needs our strategies, offices, plans and training based on the principles of the contemporary marketing and management in order to lead His Church like His strength has vanished.
11. That the church is successful only because of our personal participation.
12. That the personal works of righteousness are more important than the works of faith which the Word requires from us.
13. That life without sin is not possible.
14. That man has no free will, but is a subject of predetermined choice.
15. That once saved, a person is always saved regardless of the lifetime between his/her salvation and death.
16. That the Trinity is a composite of three different persons, and is not trinitarian nor monotheistic.
17. That Jesus Christ becomes the Son of God only after the incarnation.
18. That the leadership of the Holy Spirit is not needed in the church any longer.
19. That there is baptism of the Holy Spirit without speaking in other tongues.
20. That the gifts of the Holy Spirit can be practiced without a life of holiness.
21. That there is Biblical preaching without confirmation from the Holy Spirit with gifts and miracles.
22. That only elected men can preach the Gospel, as if the preaching of the Gospel is not an obligation of every believer.
23. That the Revival in the church is for a particular period of time and not a personal responsibility for every believer to live a life of revival.
24. That only because the Church does not operate under the anointing given to it, the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased to exist.
25. That only because we do not have personal discipline to pray and fast until God answers our prayers, He cannot do miracles as He has done before.
26. That because some prosperity teachings have over exaggerated some doctrines God does not supply needs any longer.
27. That one can change the spiritual laws and reap without having sowed.
28. That it is more blessed to receive than to give.
29. That to show mercy is an act of weakness.
30. That the minorities in the church, which form its ethnic variety, are its worst part.
31. That you can be a part of the Church without being part of the Spiritual Warfare.
32. That you can be victorious without Christ, without his sacrifice on the cross and without the power of his blood.
33. That when you are personally upset with certain people you have the right to simply leave the church.
34. That not going to church as an act of protest is an acceptable form of Christian behavior.
35. That cell groups without leadership and accountability are the apostolic model for the church.
36. That there are two kinds of Christians – layman and clergy, and that the Church must be without structure and hierarchy.
37. That there is no Rapture of the Church.
38. That the Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event.
39. That the Rapture is not before the Tribulation.
40. That the unrighteous and the ones who evidently live a life of sin will participate in the rapture of the Church and will be resurrected with the righteous dead.
Concise Plan for the Evangelization of Bulgaria (According to the Model of the Early Church)
Bulgaria is a post-communist country in Eastern Europe with a size slightly larger than the state of Pennsylvania and a population of eight million. Having converted to Christianity in AD 864, Bulgaria has remained predominantly Eastern Orthodox. Although, over 90% of the Bulgarians claim to be Eastern Orthodox in religious orientation, today a larger part of the nation remains largely pagan in praxis. The strong mission and revivalism movements at the turn of the 19th century widely introduced Protestant theology as an alternative for Bulgaria. One hundred years later, in the beginning of the 21st century the Bulgarian Protestant movement claims over 100, 000 newborn Christians. However, as Postmodernism approaches the Bulgarian church, more and more congregations find themselves in crises. The following excerpt is an outline of a larger study which purposes to propose a paradigm for Protestant development compatible with the current political, economical and social situation in Bulgaria.
1. Unity in the Spirit crossing interdenominational and cross-cultural differences, and building working relationships
2. Accent on the Bible with special attention to new translation and interpretations of the Biblical texts serving as means for personal and social formation
3. Life of holiness based on the New Testament as requirement for Christian life and testimony
4. National 24-hour fasting and prayer movement for blessings upon the Bulgarian nation, revival in the church and personal needs
5. Rediscovery and new commitment for Biblical style of ministry operating under the gifts of the Spirit
6. Expecting and receiving a spiritual vision from God
7. Creating ministry strategies and estimating ministry resources.
8. Geographical reorganization of restructuring Protestant activities in Bulgaria.
9. Strategic evangelization and revival movement
10. Establishment of a discipleship process
11. Integration of cell (home) groups
12. Purposeful training of leaders
13. Contemporary paradigm in organization of new congregations based on radical counter-reformation
14. Establishing of mission work in Bulgaria and internationally
15. Creating environment for Christian education
16. Participation in the social formation
17. Presentation of eschatological hope
18. Endurance in the faith
Eley: Central Church of God, Sofia
For the last ten years the Central Church of God in Sofia, Bulgaria has been enjoying the ministry of an instrumental ensemble by the name of Eley (Anointing). The members of Eley have given their best and sacrificed greatly to provide the church and its outreaches with their ministry of praise and worship. Through the years they have recorded several Gospel albums, which have become a national event, not only for Christens, but for all Bulgarians. Recently, Eley was given an unique opportunity to host a TV Gospel music show for the Sofia TV channel NTV. The show contains discussion of various topics, a number of songs from Eley’s albums and a Gospel music educational segment. Eley has been able to use this opportunity as a tool for evangelism, as often they host the show in the streets of Sofia performing before great crowds. Cup & Cross Ministries International is proud to be an active partner and supporter of this endeavor.
Ministering in Sumter
Cup & Cross Ministries will be ministering at Meadowbrook Church of God in Sumter, SC on May 21st. Our prayer is that the Lord would give us a wonderful time in His Spirit and bless us abundantly as we need it in our lives so much in these last days.
