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Answers to Prayer

1 Bulgaria's transformation from harsh repression in the 1980s to today's relative freedom of religion and hunger for spirituality.

2 The first major breakthrough for the gospel in modern times in a Turkic people with possibly 10,000 Turkish Millet coming to Christ in the 1990s.

Challenges for Prayer

1 Religious freedom is still not fully achieved. In the past, persecution was severe with many Christians imprisoned or killed and by manipulation through informers, infiltrators and imposters in the churches. The subversion of the Orthodox hierarchy was particularly widespread. Some leaders courageously suffered, others compromised–a fact that still breeds division, mistrust and lack of cooperation in Orthodox, Protestant and Pentecostal churches alike. Pray for repentance, reconciliation, healing and spiritual unity.

2 Some Orthodox leaders have orchestrated a virulent media campaign against non-Orthodox, and particularly Evangelicals. Accusations of cannibalism, extremism, links with crime and destruction of culture were levelled with no rebuttals allowed. This has led to violence by neo-Nazi gangs and governmental restriction or obstruction against non-Orthodox religious groups. Over 240 organizations have thus, in effect, been banned. This has slowed open evangelism, but it has also drawn evangelicals together. Pray for bridges of trust to be built between the major Christian bodies and an end to ongoing discrimination.

3 The Orthodox church needs renewal and new life. It has split into 3 denominations over leadership and political power and is trapped in a cycle of schism, corruption and compromise. This has created increased openness to consider a personal faith in Christ. There have been very few educated Bulgarians converted through evangelical Christian witness. Pray for a deep work of the Holy Spirit in the Bulgarian people.

4 The growth and maturation of evangelical denominations has been accelerated by the pressures of the 1990s. Pray for:

a) The Evangelical Alliance, formed in 1993 but only officially recognized in 1998, that it may be a united and prophetic voice for God in a divided and discouraged nation.

b) The Alliance for Saturation Church Planting, which seeks to coordinate evangelism and multiplication of congregations across the country.

c) The body of Christ. It is poised to play a significant part in the reconstruction of the country where 50% live below the poverty line, abortions far exceed the number of live births, and where hope for the future is rare.

5 Maturing the Church is a major challenge. Pray for:

a) Training of church leadership which was banned until 1990. Residential, TEE and informal training courses have multiplied, and a growing number of leaders released into ministry. Pray especially for the interdenominational Theological Evangelical Institute (formerly BBAL) which operates in both Sofia and Stara Zagora, also the various evangelical and Pentecostal theological schools, their staff and students, provision of finances, libraries and anointing of the Holy Spirit.

b) The right structures to enhance growth. The tendency is for autocratic, central leadership. Pray for a clearer vision for multiplying churches and plurality of leadership, thus avoiding personality clashes and denominational divisions. Networking and loving communication between leaders is a great need.

c) The discernment of doctrinal error. Every modern heresy and cult seems to have targeted the country – Mormons, Children of God, Jehovah's Witnesses, extreme "prosperity" teachings, as well as eastern cults. Christians are being swayed by every wind of doctrine.

d) Complete religious freedom for Evangelicals. Their ministry is hampered by constant obstructions in obtaining building sites, hiring meeting venues, negative press reports and harassment of any youth or children's ministry.

e) The multiplicity of new indigenous agencies that have sprung up for reaching children, prisoners, and ethnic minorities, and for providing literature, Bibles, and Christian teaching in schools and camps. There are also international agencies setting up local branches – CEF, EHC, and the Gideons among others. The need for wise coordination and adequate funding mechanisms is urgent.

6 Cross-cultural missions vision is slowly growing. There are now six couples serving in Turkey. Pray for a greater awareness among Christians for the ethnic minorities in Bulgaria and sensitivity to their cultures. The Pentecostal denominations have an effective church planting ministry among the Gypsies, Millet and Pomaks.

7 Ethnic minorities have suffered severely at times at the hands of the Bulgarian majority. There continues to be considerable discrimination and both Turks and Gypsies have formed political parties to fight for their rights. Specifically pray for:

a) The Rumelian Turks who deeply resented the attempts of the Communist regime to forcibly Bulgarianize them in the 1980s. Their language, religion and culture are now fully recognized. Muslim missionaries have been working hard to make them better Muslims. Barely 150 evangelical believers are known among them, and only in 1999 did specific long-term church planting ministry commence (WEC and others). Pray for a significant breakthrough.

b) The Millet – an oppressed Turkish-speaking mix of Turk and Gypsy, yet among them during the 1990s occurred an astonishing people movement to Christ of about 10,000 all over the country. Up to 80% of these are women and children, most coming to faith by way of dreams, visions and healings. Pray for the conversion of men – largely unemployed and bound by alcohol. Pray for the freeing of many from the occultism that underlies their nominal Muslim faith. Pray too for Christians with knowledge of Turkish as they seek to disciple the many Christian groups (WEC, Ichthus Fellowship and Bulgarian national groups).

c) The Roma (Gypsies) who are generally despised and at the bottom of the social order with widespread illiteracy. About 60% are Orthodox and 40% Muslim, but most are still deeply involved in the occult, crime and gambling. Between 10,000 and 20,000 have turned to the Lord, mainly through the outreach of the Pentecostals and Baptists in the Bulgarian language. Others are linked to the indigenous Turkish-speaking movement. Pray for specific outreach to them. A third of all Roma use Romani as their first language. There is now a Romani New Testament.

d) The Pomaks (250,000), Bulgarian-speaking Muslims. A specific ministry is needed to reach them. They have an identity crisis – rejected both by Bulgarians (religion) and Turks (language). Several young congregations have been planted in the south.

e) The Jews. They were not persecuted during World War II, but many have migrated to Israel. There are only 8 believers known amongst them.

8 Foreign missions have found it hard to retain long-term workers because of visa and other problems. There is need for long-term missionaries and tentmakers who will learn the culture and language, stay long enough for mature ministry and earn the confidence of the people through effective role-modelling. The need is less for pioneer evangelism and more for providing teaching skills and support to an evangelistically-minded church. Pray for:

a) The calling of workers to serve in this day of opportunity. Visas are difficult to obtain.

b) Wisdom in the use of short-term visits and ministry. Too much has been done (and even undone) by enthusiastic, but ill-prepared, visitors on foray ministries. All needs to be integrated into a wider, coordinated strategy that has been developed indigenously.

c) Sensitive use of foreign funds. The chronic lack of finance and poverty of those in Christian work makes every infusion of funds a potentially damaging or distorting influence to the spiritual life of churches and individuals. Employment by foreign agencies can easily take away key workers from the ministries most needed by the church. Yet how vital such financial help is!

9 Ministry to young people is under-developed. Few churches know how to meet their needs which are so different from their Communist-era parents. Pray for freedom to evangelize and disciple young people in schools. CCCI has an active campus ministry. IFES has established student groups in 13 cities but have a great need for Bulgarian staff to coordinate and support student outreach.

10 Christian help ministries. Pray for lasting fruit from:

a) Literature. New Man became the first Bulgarian Christian publisher with a vision for producing solid evangelical books, Scripture aids and teaching/evangelistic materials. There are four Christian bookstores (CLC, Berean Publishers). Pray for viability in the prevailing poverty. EHC has plans for a nation-wide literature distribution campaign. Effective cooperation between foreign and national literature agencies is needed.

b) Bible translation and distribution. Praise God for the registration of the Bulgarian Bible Society in 1993. The Bible Society has at last gained inter-confessional agreement for a new translation of the archaic Bulgarian Bible. Work has begun; pray for its rapid completion. Pray also for the continued impact of the Cyrillic Turkish NT and the Children's Bible. Illiteracy among the Turk and Gypsy populations is a hindrance.

c) Christian radio and TV. TWR has a studio producing programmes in Bulgarian and Romani (the latter being a World by 2000 project). Studio 865 prepares TV programmes for local stations.

d) The JESUS film is available in Bulgarian, Romani, Romanian and Turkish; viewers are 25% of the population.