Spiritual Fullness (Fullness in the Spirit) among Early Bulgarian Pentecostals and Today

Bulgaria’s early Pentecostals insisted on a spiritual fullness that included: (1) salvation, (2) water baptism and (3) baptism with the Spirit.[1] As a formula of spiritual experience, it satisfied the witness of blood, water and Spirit (1 Jn. 5:8) on earth; but also corresponded with the triune God in heaven (1 Jn. 5:7), from whom the believer’s spiritual experience originated. Many conservative Pentecostals in Bulgaria today still uphold “the fullness” teaching and would not use Bibles that exclude Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7) for these three “bear record in heaven.”[2]

However, even with the already present Trinitarian experience of the believer and the enormous theological Methodist influence, it is astounding that the doctrine of sanctification was not taught as a separate work of grace among Bulgarian Protestants. Even when after Pentecostalism spread in Bulgaria, it was not included in the tri-fold formula for “spiritual fullness” of the believer. During the persecution of the Communist Regime, speaking in tongues during Communion was done as a spiritual confirmation that the person has “fullness in the Spirit” or is not a government agent sent by the police to spy on the rest of the church. Interpretation often followed to confirm the spiritual stand of the believer. Early Bulgarian Pentecostals did not distinguish between the initial evidence and the gift of speaking in tongues. Even communist propaganda author Boncho Assenov, who categorized Pentecostals as a sectarian cult, defined this fullness as fundamental for the sacramental theology of the early charismatic communities in Bulgaria.[3]

[1] Mollov, 209.

[2] Zarev, 28.

[3] Boncho Asenov, Religiite i sektite v Bŭlgariia (Sofia: Partizdat, 1968), 167, 367.

See also:

The Practice of Corporate Holiness within the Communion Service of Bulgarian Pentecostals

Sanctification and Personal Holiness among Early Bulgarian Pentecostals

Water Baptism among early Bulgarian Pentecostals

First Pentecostal Missionaries to Bulgaria (1920)

Back to the Basics of Pentecost

Since the beginning of the 21st century, only 6-10% of new born believers in America receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which by 2018 has resulted in:

• Over 60% within Global Pentecostalism do not speak in tongues
• A major doctrinal shift within Pentecostal Theology today claims speaking in tongues is not the only evidence of Holy Spirit Baptism
• Some theologians even claim there is no initial evidence in the Bible
• Others today go further to believe that no outward sign of the Holy Spirit baptism is necessary.

For this reason, WE are re-committing ourselves and ministry to revival and restoration of the Pentecostal Message through praying, fasting and preaching:

• Salvation of the sinner’s soul and entire sanctification through the Blood of Jesus
• Baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire with initial evidence of speaking in tongues
• Supernatural gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit
• Healing, deliverance and signs following
• Pre-Millennial return of Christ and pre-Tribulation Rapture of His Church to glory

Please consider the URGENCY of this generation!

Let us reason together what can we do to prevent this rapid decline in Biblical spirituality.

Revival will not come without preaching!

Revival of Pentecost will not come without preaching the Message of Pentecost.

The message of PENTECOST is still the same…

Since the beginning of the 21st century, only 6-10% of new born believers in America receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which by 2018 has resulted in:

• Over 60% within Global Pentecostalism do not speak in tongues
• A major doctrinal shift within Pentecostal Theology today claims speaking in tongues is not the only evidence of Holy Spirit Baptism
• Some theologians even claim there is no initial evidence in the Bible
• Others today go further to believe that no outward sign of the Holy Spirit baptism is necessary.

For this reason, WE are re-committing ourselves and ministry to revival and restoration of the Pentecostal Message through praying, fasting and preaching:

• Salvation of the sinner’s soul and entire sanctification through the Blood of Jesus
• Baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire with initial evidence of speaking in tongues
• Supernatural gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit
• Healing, deliverance and signs following
• Pre-Millennial return of Christ and pre-Tribulation Rapture of His Church to glory

Please consider the URGENCY of this generation!

Let us reason together what can we do to prevent this rapid decline in Biblical spirituality.

Revival will not come without preaching!

Revival of Pentecost will not come without preaching the Message of Pentecost.

 

Speaking in Tongues in America Prior to the Azusa Street Revival of 1906

April, 1906 – The Azusa street revival swept the globe starting with California

January 1, 1901– The initial phenomenon of speaking in tongues occurred at Parham’s school in Topeka, Kansas

January 6, 1900 – Frank Sanford’s Shiloh school reported that “The gift of tongues has descended”

1896 – Over 100 people baptized in the Shaerer schoolhouse revival conducted by the Christian Union in the North Carolina mountains

1887 – People falling in trances and speaking in tongues were reported at Maria Etter’s revival meetings in Indiana

1874 – Speaking in tongues occurred during healing meetings reported in New York

1873 – William H. Doughty and the Gift People of Rhode Island spoke in tongues

1854 – V. P. Simmons and Robert Boyd reported tongue speaking during Moody’s meetings

FURTHER READING:

Church of God (Cleveland, TN)

• Alive, alive! (A personal testimony)
• Church of God Primitivism
• Bulgarian Church of God
• J.W. Buckalew
• Why revival came? by Dr. Charles Conn

Azusa Street Revival of 1906

• Lucy F. Farrow: The Forgotten Apostle of Azusa
• The FORGOTTEN ROOTS OF THE AZUSA STREET REVIVAL
• Azusa Street’s Apostolic Faith Renewed
• Azusa Street Sermons
• Pentecostal Primitivism Preserved

Prior to Azusa Street Revival of 1906

• First person to speak in tongues in the Assemblies of God was William Jethro Walthall of the Holiness Baptist Churches of Southwestern Arkansas
• The Work of the Spirit in Rhode Island (1874-75)
• Speaking in Tongues in America Prior to the Azusa Street Revival
• WAR ON THE SAINTS: Revival Dawn and the Baptism of the Spirit
• How Jezebel Killed One of the Greatest Revivals Ever

Fulfilling the Great Commission by 2033?

Dr. Billy Wilson and Dr. Rick Warren hold ‘2033 Leaders Consultation’

NEW YORK — More than two dozen ministry leaders of significant global networks convened Dec. 5-6 in New York City to combine their experience and insights toward the goal of Great Commission fulfillment within the next decade.

Hosted by Dr. Billy Wilson, Oral Roberts University President, Pentecostal World Fellowship Chair and Empowered21 Global Chair, and Dr. Rick Warren, Executive Director of Finishing the Task and Founding Pastor of Saddleback Church, the event brought the leaders representing significant denominations, para-church networks and evangelistic ministries from around the world together for prayer, connection and collaboration.

“I believe we are entering the most important decade of Great Commission effort in the history of the church,” shared Dr. Wilson. “Numerous 2033 initiatives were represented in this consultation and it was a joy to witness our shared passion and unity across the diversity of the body of Christ. The next decade is going to be amazing as we push together toward providing everyone on planet earth the opportunity to know Jesus as their savior.”

The two-day meeting ended with the development of a commitment document agreeing to significant efforts over the next decade, including collaborating with one another, praying for the salvation of others, mobilizing followers of Jesus to join in the efforts, investing increased resources for evangelism and going with the good news to the ends of the earth.

“In our polarized world, it’s easy to erect walls and go it alone with just your own tribe,” noted Warren. “It takes courage to build bridges to others who love Jesus but don’t believe or practice the faith in the same way you do. On Dec. 5, as I listened and watched a small group of 24 influential Christian leaders, representing a wide spectrum of the Body of Christ, step out of their comfort zones in order to begin collaborating to complete the Great Commission, I sensed that God was smiling from Heaven. He had found a group of people willing to be an answer to Jesus’ prayer for the unity of His church that He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before He was crucified.”

The group plans to convene again at , a three-day conference and one-day stadium event hosted by Empowered21 on June 21-24, 2023 at Amsterdam RAI & Olympic Stadium. The international event will feature influential leaders and powerful speakers to launch a decade of unprecedented evangelism to get the gospel to every person on earth by 2033. For more information, visit amsterdam2023.com.

Represented Organizations

The following organizations and ministries were represented at the Dec. 5-6 event:

• Brian Alarid, America Prays & World Prays
• Doug Beacham, International Pentecostal Holiness Church
• Keith Boyette, Global Methodist Church
• Henry Cappello, Global 2033
• Samuel Chiang, World Evangelical Alliance
• Doug Clay, Assemblies of God
• Dick Eastman, Every Home for Christ
• Oliver Fleury, Jesus Celebration 2033
• Mart Green, Hobby Lobby
• Bobby Gruenewald, YouVersion
• Tim Harlow, National Association of Christian Churches
• Alan Hawkins, Anglican Church in North America
• Rob Hoskins, OneHope
• James Hwang, Billion Soul Harvest
• Young Cho, Billion Soul Harvest
• Everton Jackson, Baptist World Alliance
• Werner Nachtigal, GO Movement
• Michael Oh, Lausanne Movement
• Nick Perryman, Alpha
• Thomas Schirrmacher, World Evangelical Alliance
• Rick Warren, Finishing the Task
• David Wells, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
• Michael White, Rebuilt Parish / Church of the Nativity
• Billy Wilson, ORU and Empowered21
• Caleb Wehrli, Empowered21
• Ashley Wilson, Empowered21

Participating Leader Quotes

“After our meeting, the World Evangelical Alliance is even more committed to ‘2033.’ It was a great meeting of collaboration, planning and global leaders becoming friends for the gospel’s sake.” — Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General, World Evangelical Alliance

“The rising global generation is perhaps the most cause-oriented generation in the history of the world. This call and clear statement from the leadership of the global Church to reach everyone in the world with the love, truth and power of Jesus is going to be incredibly appealing for a decade of unprecedented evangelism.” — Rob Hoskins, President, OneHope

 “It’s inspiring and exciting to be part of a coalition across global Christianity focusing on global evangelism by the year 2033. The spirit of prayer and unity is palpable.” — Doug Beacham, Superintendent, International Pentecostal Holiness Church

“I was inspired and envisioned by the unity amongst all Christian leaders and the commitment to engage and collaborate to finish the task of the Great Commission. This is the beginning of a new era, with an incredible momentum, through which every person can be reached with the Gospel message.” — Henry Cappello, International Director, Global 2033

“Imagine that we live in a time when it is possible to reach the whole world with the Gospel.  We’re excited to call the Church to join us for this incredible decade of evangelism.” — Werner Nachtigal, Founder, GO Movement

“What an amazing privilege to meet with global leaders passionate about accelerating the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We have a unique opportunity to unite across the Christian church to ensure that every person hears and has an opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ” — Keith Boyette, Connectional Officer, Global Methodist Church

“What a historic meeting of like-minded Global leaders gathered around Jesus for the biggest push ever for the Great Commission. The Ecclesia has the best Good News ever told. And this broken world desperately needs hope at a geo-politic level and transformation at a personal level. A powerful united Global Momentum has begun.”
— Olivier Fleury, Founder and President, JC2033

“The call towards collaboration of the body of Christ to reach 8 billion is an exciting and encouraging opportunity for the Global Church. This is a crucial, historic, unprecedented work of God.” — Bishop Alan Hawkins, Chief Operating Officer, The Anglican Church in North America.

About Empowered21
Empowered21 is a global Spirit-filled movement working to connect the generations for blessing, impartation and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the 21st century. Its U.S. office is on the campus of Oral Roberts University, of which Empowered21 Global Chair Dr. Billy Wilson is president. To learn more, visit empowered21.com.

13 Years of Chaplaincy on the High Seas

We began our literal journey of ministry on the high seas in 2009. After exploring the opportunity for several years’ prior and submitting applications to various chaplaincy organizations which dealt with such ministry, the doors finally opened for Cup and Cross.

This search for a ministerial identity and its proper application in the real world coincided with the start of the Master’s in Chaplaincy Ministry Program which we designed for the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute in Sofia around 2008-2009. The long standing relationships with professors, active military chaplains from various fields and countries, and the wisdom of several Generals in the field helped us calibrate our ministry focus with what is needed by real people in the real world.

The new fad “to be real” is not enough in a realistic ministry setting. When 25ft. high storm waves beat the aft and the ship is thrown towards the dark wall of ocean waters ahead, one cannot help but “to be real” and depend on a very real and skilled crew. A captain alone cannot run the boat through a storm even if all systems are reported working. It is the crew deep down in the engine room and making its way on the slippery deck that makes it all happen.

The Crew. Some of them have not seen their families for months or even a year at times. They struggle with the same fears and anxieties as the rest of us. Except, while the rest of us can hold on to something for dear life, the crew is obligated by duty to continue to serve and move the boat ahead. The little chapel on the top deck becomes a passage to a lagoon past the riffs of stormy life where stories are shared, prayers are lifted up together and human lives are reclaimed anew for Heaven.

We have found these nontraditional paths of travel and ministry yielding the most unique encounters and connections for Kingdom growth.  Our family is thankful for these 10 years and looking forward to even more means of ministry outside of the four church walls.  If you would like for us to come to your church as share our journey feel free to reach out to us.

Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in the European Union (2022 Report)

• 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

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

Not paying attention to the person

Leaders not attuned to the needs of the market will fail. As the old saying goes, if you’re not taking care of your customers, someone else will be more than happy to. Successful leaders focus on the consumer experience, which in turn leads to satisfaction and loyalty. The best leaders find ways to consistently engage the consumer and incorporate them into their innovation and planning initiatives. If you ignore, mistreat, or otherwise don’t value your customer base, your days as a leader are most certainly numbered.

The “A” word: Real leaders are accountable

Real leaders are accountable. They don’t blame others, don’t claim credit for the success of their team, but always accept responsibility for failures that occur on their watch. Most of all, leaders are accountable to their team. I’ve always said that leaders not accountable to their people will eventually be held accountable by their people.

Beware the know-it-all leaders

The best leaders are acutely aware of how much they don’t know. They have no need to be the smartest person in the room, but have the unyielding desire to learn from others. I’ve often said, leaders who are not growing cannot lead a growing enterprise. One of the hallmarks of great leaders is their insatiable curiosity. If a leader isn’t extremely curious about every aspect of their organization, trust me when I say there are huge problems on the horizon.

The Non-Chalcedonian Eastern Church: West Syrian (Jacobite)

Dony K. Donev, D.Min.: Eastern Pneumotology Lectures

Eastern Orthodoxy can be expressed in one word: theism. The purpose and meaning of life is to become more like God. Deification is pursued by all means of human existence. This quest for divine likeness often includes the typical for the Eastern Church, speculation on the divinity and humanity of Christ, traditions on the doctrine of the Trinity and non-traditional mystical experiences. They appear in the context of both physical and spiritual characteristics in individual and corporate ecclesiastical environment. The role of the Spirit in the process of deification is threefold and involves: creation, re-creation and theism. Eastern Pneumotology follows the graduate process of theism development. The Spirit is involved in the original creation of the world as well as the new-birth experience. His work however, does not end there, but continues throughout the process of personal deification of the believer.

The Non-Chalcedonian Eastern Church: West Syrian (Jacobite)

The Jacobites viewed the presence of the Holy Spirit in three prime settings. Firstly, He is the agent of the original ex-nahilo creation and the spiritual re-creation in the second birth. Secondly, He is present in the baptism and chrismation. Lastly, He is the Transfigurator of the Eucharistic elements representing the body and the blood of Christ.5 [1]

Our prime source of information on the corporate ecclesiastical Coptic tradition is a document entitled The Odes of Solomon. Interesting to notice in this context of this writings is the fact that the Spirit is referred in a feminine gender.[2] However, this conception declined as the devotion to the person of Mary grew.[3]

Such a devotion is extraordinary noticeable in the life and writings of Ephrem the Syrian (ca. 306-373). He further compares the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Mary as the Spirit’s descent over both the water baptism and the elements of the Eucharist.[4] This is why in the Syriac baptismal service; the holy oil is powered onto the water.[5] For the same reason, Ephrem states that the Eucharist means involvement with the hosts of heaven.

Ephrem recognizes Spirit-activity through the entire panorama of salvation. The Spirit is present in the transformation of the fallen human creature into “the pristine of paradisiacal state.”[6] The gift of the Spirit is received in the water baptism where the believer receives a divine armor.[7]

A follower of Ephrem is Philoxenus of Mabbug (ca. 440-523). Among other issues, in his writings, he states that the life in the spirit is nothing else but a process of sanctification. He refers to it also as the spiritualization of the body, which is expressed through the domination of the body by the soul. The above results are possible only after fasting and prayer.[8] A contemporary of Philoxenus by the name of Severus of Antioch (ca. 465-ca. 539) adds to the above process the presence of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church as a sign of God’s divine election. In this sense, the Jacobites are carriers of the already-not-yet idea.[9]

[1] J. H. Barnard, The Odes of Solomon, Texts and Studies 8:3 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912), 120-21.

[2] Ibid., 67, note on verse 17.

[3] Robert Murray, “Mary, the Second Eve in the Early Syriac Fathers,” Eastern Church Review 3:4 (Autumn 1971): 373.

[4] Ephrem, Nisibene Hymns 37.4 in CSCO 241, Syr. 103:13, and NPF 2^nd Series 13:295.

[5] Ephrem, Hymns of Paradise 11, in CSCO 175, Syr. 79:43-46.

[6] Jean Danielou, From Shadows to Reality (Westminster: The Newman Press, 1960), 23-30.

[7] Ephrem, Hymns of the Epiphany 3.1-3, in CSCO 187, Syr. 83:18-19.

[8] E. A. Wallis Budge, The Discourses of Philoxenus, Bishop of Mabbogh, AD 485-519 (London: Asher and Co., 1894), “Eleventh Discourse on Assistance,” Budge 264.

[9] Burgess, 178.

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