Presenting at the Society for Pentecostal Studies in Seattle Pacific University on “Historical and Doctrinal Formation of Holiness Teachings and Praxis among Bulgarian Pentecostals” (Part 1)

Presenting at the Society for Pentecostal Studies in Seattle on “Historical and Doctrinal Formation of Holiness Teachings and Praxis among Bulgarian Pentecostals” (Part 1)

Obama, Marxism and Pentecostal Identity

Time and time again in the past several years, while ministering in churches across the United States, friends and partners ask us about our opinion on the political situation at home and around the world. Many of them ask the direct question of America becoming more and more socialist-like. Our response is that while people have the right to own a business, there cannot be communism, but this barely scratches the surface.

“Looking over the Wall” answers this and many other important questions about the current global reality from a very distinct Pentecostal and the same time post communist point of view. Yet, the text does it in a way, which can actually relate to popular American culture and current economic reality. The book provides Christian answers as of what defines our identity and makes us human – a right communism strips from the persona, the family and the church without much regard of the consequences that follow.

But this drastic dehumanization has an almost irreversible effect on the human psyche – a slavery mentality that penetrates the very heart of men and women and leaves forever its mark of fear, depression and insecurity. The book traces how Pentecostalism as faith and ideology has the power to deliver post communist communities from the grasp of oppressive governments and transform them into a socially relevant culture changing force. At the same time, it remains a warning to theologians who dare to flirt with Marxist idealism being fulfilled in the context of the New Testament ecclesia. And rightfully so!

The book is a must read for any and all who are ministering or planning to minister in a post communist culture or among post communist groups regardless of their geographical locale. For the principles it shows are valid for post community mentality everywhere. Preview and purchase your copy directly at Amazon.com

Being Pentecostal Conference

Why I Decided to Publish Pentecostal Primitivism?

Dony K. Donev

Pentecostal Primitivism is the title of my master’s thesis completed over a decade ago. It was significant to me because the research changed my perspective on Pentecostalism completely. Traditionally, we have assigned our faith paradigm to the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. But Pentecostal faith is much simpler and straight forward. The Pentecostal experience simplified the way we see our faith, being less in our own reach and persecution of reality, and more in God’s control; less me-centered and more God-centered. Although it originates from Wesley’s renewal theology of sanctification, Pentecostals are not methodistic as Wesleyanism tends to be. With this in mind, I wrote Pentecostal Primitivism as a proposal for a 21st century reclaiming of the original model of Pentecostal faith, which could be described in the simplified triangular formula of power, prayer and praxis.

21st Century Revival of Study Bibles

We are undertaking the task of comparing and reviewing a growing number of Study Bibles appearing on the book market recently in what appear to be a 21st century Revival of Study Bibles. We will be including some classical titles as well, but overall this study will have three parts dealing with three distinct types of Study Bibles namely: (1) Non-Pentecostal, (2) Pentecostal and (3) Prophecy Related. The following titles are among the ones we have chosen to review in the course of the study:

I. Non-Pentecostal

1. Orthodox Study Bible – in relations to Eastern mysticism and its historical effect on the Pentecostal experience
2. Reformation Study Bible – within the scope of formation of evangelical identity among Pentecostals
3. Wesley Study Bible – with the purpose of studying the relations between Wesleyan-Holiness tradition and Pentecostal theology
4. C.S. Lewis Bible – in the scope of its relation to Pentecostal and Charismatic ethics and religious praxis
5. Maxwell Leadership Bible – as per its relations to the leadership paradigms involving and affecting Pentecostal and Charismatic communities
6. NetBible and its relations to general formations within Pentecostal Theology

II. Pentecostal

1. Spirit Filled Study Bible – written by leading Pentecostal scholars
2. Full Life Study Bible – classic Pentecostal and foundation for the youth oriented Fire Bible and the Life In The Spirit Study Bible
3. Word Study Bible – including selected teachings from Hagin, Copeland, Sumrall, Savelle, Hayes, Osborn, Wigglesworth, Kuhlman and McPherson
4. Kenneth Copeland Study Bible – considered as a fundamentalist Pentecostal teaching
5. Jimmy Swaggart’s Expositor’s Study Bible – as an introduction of Pentecostal ethics and praxis
6. Dake Study Bible – as a classic example on Pentecostalism and Last Days Prophecy coming together

III. Prophecy Related

1. Scofield Study Bible and its dispensational effect on early Pentecostals
2. John Hagee Prophecy Bible combining understanding of prophetic themes with doctrines of salvation, covenants, and questions about the Christian faith.
3. Jeffrey Prophecy Study Bible regarded as the most comprehensive prophecy study Bible
4. Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible combining the knowledge of 48 leading Bible experts of prophecy
5. Jack Van Impe Prophecy Bible as a valuable source with a wealth of information on Bible prophecy
6. Perry Stone Hebraic/Prophetic Study Bible gleaning from 44,000 hours of Bible Study and produced within 34 years of ministry

F. Sanders (a.k.a. Theologue) has further compiled a comprehensive list of study Bibles, which we truly recommend.

Pentecostal Primitivism Preserved

Cup & Cross Ministries International is happy to announce the publication of Pentecostal Primitivism Preserved.

Entering the era of the New Millennium, the Christian Church faces a great number of new existential dilemmas. Finding their answers is not only essential, but also formational for the future of the global Christian Community. Failure to do so will transform the church into just another nominal organization separated from the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the power of God.

In  attempt to answer the present ecclesial predicaments, this work suggests a way of remembering and returning to the past. Judging from his own Eastern Pentecostal Tradition and personal salvific experience, the author calls the Christian Church to neo-primitivism expressed in the rediscovering and reclaiming of the basic order of the Primitive Church of the first century. Dr.Donev proposes a new understanding of the Pentecostal experience expressed in power, prayer and praxis. Furthermore, reclaiming of the original experience is the answer for the church of the 21st century only if expressed in discipleship after the example of Christ. It is only through such process that the Christian community will be enabled to preserve its own identity and transmit the faith once delivered to the saints to the future generations.

Prayer for the Pentecostal Theological Seminary

2011 Historic Pentecostal Revival Tour in Bulgaria Continues

We continued our Historic Pentecostal Revival Tour in celebration of the 90th anniversary of the First Bulgarian Pentecostal Revival with the Church Leadership Summit in Silistra – an event that has been in prayerful planning for almost two years now. It involved a day of leadership training for the pastors and workers of all churches in the Silistra region. Silistra – is a port city of northeastern Bulgaria, lying on the southern bank of the lower Danube at the country’s border with Romania. The town is a major cultural, industrial, transportation and educational center with many historical landmarks including a Roman port, remains of the Medieval fortress and a Turkish Ottoman fort. But our purpose there was not religious tourism, but rather to bring valued principles of church leadership and growth to the heart of this major educational center of north-eastern Bulgaria.

The training took place all day on Saturday with breaks in between for fellowship and discussion. We started the morning sessions with an introduction to the subject of Church Leadership and Team Work, while the afternoon brought in a major way the lecture of Structuring the Church for Growth with a review and consecutive discussion groups. It was well received and time for questions at the end was very inviting. As always, it was encouraging to watch church leaders from various denominational groups and religious backgrounds opening for learning and change, while engaging in a healthy dialogue together. Many inquiries regarded concerns of motivation which lead to an invitation to return and hold another training event specifically on the subject of Internal Motivation within Church Leadership. Then in the Sunday service, we brought a message on the Last Day Prophecies.

The trip was also very important to our ministry, as last time when we were in Silistra six years ago we signed the contract for publishing the New Bulgarian Translation of the Bible beginning with Gospel of John. It was a great joy and even greater blessing to be back and meet with our friends at Eagle Publishers. There, we discussed recent and future projects as well as new ministry opportunities in light of their new technological capabilities. We hope to partner together on several projects including a 140th anniversary of the first Bulgarian Bible of 1871, the new translation of the Gospel of Mark, our research essays on Bulgarian Protestant history and of course the long awaited Sunday School project for the Church of God. We were able to pick up several containers of Christian materials including our new translation of Matthew, which will be given to the participants at our 2011 Ministry Camp in July.

While in Silistra, we also received a special invitation to view the art gallery of one lady from the church. Her husband and she spent over 40 years painting Christian oriented murals, portraits and so forth, which have been preserved over these years and put on display. With every piece came a story and the story will continue to live on for years to come.

After the morning service on Sunday we left immediately and traveled to the old Bulgarian capital city of Veliko Tarnovo where we ministered to the newly formed Bulgarian Church of God congregation there. Although still relatively small in numbers, they have grown in size since our previous fellowship together last year, moving from home group meetings to a rented conference room in the city center. Regional Bishop, Pastor Vassil Petrov, shared with us of their search for a new method of ministry in which we were able to offer some suggestions for such transformation. From there we traveled to Gabrovo where we where able to further fellowship in the regional bishop’s meeting.

Late Monday morning we traveled to Kuzanluk where the first Baptist church in Bulgaria was established in the 19th century and where some of the first baptisms with the Holy Spirit in Bulgaria occurred in the early 1920s. We were able to inspect the ongoing church renovation there while meeting with leaders of various churches.

Please keep us in your prayers as our journey is long and the days are but few here in Bulgaria. Yet the reward of the ministry is great and the satisfaction makes things easier watching this great nation awaking for a revival with God once again. We have noticed great spiritual change since we returned with the effects of the economic crises here. And with over 400 miles driven, 4 days traveled, 5 lectures delivered, 2 sermons preached in this part of our commemorative Pentecostal Tour, you still cannot put a price on the salvation of a human soul. Go to the ends of the world to preach the Gospel is still the command. Whatever the cost.

2011 Historic Pentecostal Revival Tour in Bulgaria

Celebrating 90 years since the first Pentecostal revival in Bulgaria

Exactly 400 years ago, the first King James Bible was printed in June, 1611. The first Bulgarian Bible was printed 140 years ago in June, 1871. The first Pentecostal Revival in Bulgaria took place between Easter and Pentecost of 1921. And finally, exactly 20 years the Pravetz youth group, where I had the privilege to begin my ministry, experienced a spiritual revival in which hundreds of young people were reached and saved.

To commemorate this great heritage, we undertook a historic revival tour during the month of June in Bulgaria. We started at the Black Sea with the momentous ordination of presbyters in the church of Aheloy – one of the few Church of God congregations with the original doctrine and practice. The special ordination service on Saturday night went on with prayer and praise, communion and foot washing until 2am.

Then on Sunday we gathered at 6:30am for prayer and followed with the morning service. We continued with services in Pravetz, where our youth group celebrated its 20-year anniversary, then at the church in Verdical near Sofia with a special foot washing and communion service, and finally in Sofia with a prophetic word to the Church of God in the Obelya suburb.

Pentecostal Theological Seminary Address

Pentecostal Theological Seminary Address (MP3)

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