Bulgaria
From Bulgaria’s original conversion to Christianity in 865 AD, many ruling entities have come and gone, attempting to sway the tides of religious sentiment in their wake. After the Second World War, Bulgaria turned to a socialist government in hopes of heightening social and economic recovery. During the 42 years of communist rule in the country, religion suffered severe suppression and atheism became the national religion. Cultural identity began to resurface, however, with the rise of democracy in 1990 and with it the traditional Orthodox religion began to reassert itself. Now roughly 83% of the people are members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Communism left its mark, and suspicion and instability still remain a prominent attitude in the Bulgarian people. In a large part, much of the suspicions of the people have a strong basis as corruption runs rampant in both the private and governmental sectors. In the past few years, with hopes of entering the European Union in 2007, the fight against corruption has been stepped up dramatically.
Bulgarians seem to have lost faith in their own government and the promises for reform. Their hope is that, upon joining the EU, all problems will vanish in the light of their new status. Their hope is placed in the developed countries of the world stabilizing them to increase their quality of life. What they do not realize is that quality of life is not determined by the amount of economic or social success in a country, but upon dependence on God to provide provision and meaning for their lives. Only by placing their hope in Christ and accepting His guidance will the people of Bulgaria find the peace and prosperity they are looking for.
Though the majority of the population proclaims Christianity, the population shows a disconcerting ignorance of what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. Join us in praying that those in Bulgaria with this personal relationship with Him will be bold in their witness. Pray that new multiplying churches will increase this witness to the point that a church-planting movement emerges and takes the Gospel to all the peoples of Bulgaria.
If you would like to be a part of helping the people of Bulgaria learn what it means to get to know Christ in a personal way, please contact us at hope4cee@pobox.com.