Masters of Chaplaincy in Bulgaria Approved
After a thorough examination and countless hours of hard work toward its finalization, the Bulgarian Masters’ Program in Chaplaincy Ministry was finally approved by the educational board of the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute. The program currently has 20+ students who are approaching the final year of their studies with expected graduation in the spring of 2012. We have been heavily involved in the preparation and teaching of the program and will be lead instructors in the psychology and counseling module this fall.
History of Events
05/12 Anticipated Date for Graduation of the First Cohort of Master’s Program of Chaplaincy Ministry in Bulgaria
2011
09/11 – Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program Module 3: Counceling Completed
07/11 – Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program Module 2: Theology Completed
03/11 – Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program approved by the Educational Committee of the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute
01/11 – Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program Continues
2010
10/10 – Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program Module 1: Chaplaincy Completed
09/10 Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program begins in Sofia, Bulgaria
06/10 Chaplaincy Conference and Master’s of Chaplaincy for Bulgaria
01/10 Proposal masters program finalized and submitted for approval to the Educational Committee of the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute
2009
10/09 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association holds an introductory chaplaincy course in Yambol, Bulgaria
2008
12/08 Family Seminar for Military Men and Women held in Yambol
11/08 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association Annual Meeting
09/08 – Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations noted in Church of God publications
06/08 – The Case of a NATO Chaplaincy Model within the Bulgarian Army released
06/08 – Celebrating 10 Years of Military Ministry in Bulgaria
2007
10/07 – Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations Recognized by U.S. Department of State
07/07 – National Chaplaincy Conference in Yambol, Bulgaria
03/07 – Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association was officially registered
02/07 – Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association gains legal status
01/07 – Bulgarian Chaplaincy Assassination noted by international religious freedom watch dog Forum 18
2006
12/06 – Registration Rejected Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association by Bulgarian court
11/06 – A master program in chaplaincy ministry has been proposed for the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute in Sofia
10/06 – Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association Founder’s Meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria
10/06 – A contextualized course for chaplaincy ministry is offered at the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute in Sofia
08/06 – Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association’s Resolution No. 1 sets course toward chaplaincy in churches, education and government institutions
07/06 – National Chaplaincy Meeting in Yambol, Bulgaria
06/06 – Meeting with NATO Chaplains
05/06 – Cup & Cross Ministries submitted a research paper to NATO’s Manfred Wörner Foundation dealing with the case of underground chaplaincy within the Bulgarian Armed Forces
03/06 – A contextualized course for chaplaincy ministry was offered in Veliko Turnovo
02/06 – www.kapelanstvo.com was released to serve as the official website of the chaplaincy movement in Bulgaria
2005
10/05 – A national training seminar held in Veliko Turnovo
10/05 – The Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association was presented before the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance
09/05 – Regional meeting in Nova Zagora which addressed the current issues
08/05 – A regional chaplaincy meeting in Sliven
07/05 – Publication of camouflage New Testaments and Bibles, some of which we distributed to Bulgarian army personal including the divisions currently serving in Iraq
2004-2001
- Chaplaincy Conference and Master’s of Chaplaincy
- Chaplaincy Course in Yambol, BULGARIA
- Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association Annual Meeting
- Family Seminar for Military Men and Women
- Cup & Cross Ministries in Church of God Publications
- The Case of a NATO Chaplaincy Model within the Bulgarian Army
- 10 Years of Military Ministry in Bulgaria
- Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations Recognized by U.S. Department of State
- National Chaplaincy Conference
- Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association Gains Legal Status
- Chaplain Dees Visits Bulgaria
- Chaplaincy Course at the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute
- Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association
- Meeting the NATO Chaplain
- National Chaplaincy Meeting
- Chaplaincy Developments in Bulgaria
- U.S. Bases in Bulgaria
- National Chaplaincy Meeting
- Chaplaincy in Bulgaria
- HEALTHCARE CHAPLAINCY IN BULGARIA
- Chaplaincy in Bulgaria
- Mission Bulgaria
Masters of Chaplaincy Continues in Bulgaria
The Masters Program in Chaplaincy Ministry is continuing at the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute under the patronage of the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association. It purposes to prepare chaplains in all professional areas as military, prisons, hospitals, and so forth. as it draws theological students with baccalaureate and masters degrees in their respective fields.
After successfully finishing the first module in chaplaincy in September, the students are now engaged with the second module of theological studies. All courses are taught by graduate professors from Bulgaria and the United States, at the Institute’s extension in the town of Yambol, where Cup & Cross Ministries’ headquarters are also located.
The current theological module includes the following courses:
1. Introduction to the Old Testament
2. Introduction to the New Testament
3. Church History
4. Systematic Theology
5. Religious Pluralism
6. Cults and Religions
7. Homiletic
8. Hermeneutics
Chaplaincy Conference and Master’s of Chaplaincy for Bulgaria
The International Association of Evangelical Chaplains just held its first global conference in Eastern Europe. The chosen location was the country of Romania, where the army now has one full-time paid evangelical chaplain. This is the first conference of such caliber held on the Balkan Peninsula and it was natural that representatives from most neighboring countries attended. With this conference the issues of chaplaincy within the Bulgarian and Romanian armies, now members of NATO, is adequately finalized.
Bulgaria was represented by the president of the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association as the conference marked an important point in the resent development of Bulgarian Chaplaincy. As a result, chaplain col. Rich Young of the IAEC, who last year taught an Introduction to Chaplaincy course in Yambol, Bulgaria, will present a lecture on chaplaincy in the capital Sofia on May 31, 2010. The lecture is brought with the help of the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute in effort to promote the Masters’ of Chaplaincy Program which will begin in Sofia this fall. With it, the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association has reached an important stage of its long-term educational strategy which purposes the proper and adequate presentation of the chaplaincy ministry to local church, educational institution and government agencies. The Masters’ of Chaplaincy program is one of few taught around the globe on a graduate level and the first one ever to be presented in Eastern Europe.
