From the author of "Imprisoned for Christ", now the first comprehensive history of Evangelical Christianity in Bulgaria is available in English.
With the arrival of the first Congregationalist missionaries in 1844, more Bulgarians heard the Gospel than ever before. Despite resistance from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Evangelicals increased both in number and in favor with royal officials after the overthrow of the Ottoman Turkish Empire in 1888. The era of Communism brought new waves of persecution, but the Church in Bulgaria stood strong. This is her story.
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By nzan
Aug 7, 2011
This book was a fascinating read for me, a Bulgarian immigrant. It traces the activities of the American missionaries in the early 19th century in the Balkan part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire which was inhabited by the Bulgarians who had been enduring persecutions and violence for five centuries. It had been an epic time. The Bulgarians, a nation in existence for over 13 centuries, were Christians practicing the East Orthodox religion. They had heroically resisted the brutal attempts by the Turks to convert them to Islam. They also had heroically preserved their national identity. But something more was needed to help them prevail over the adversities imposed on them: This was the advent of the American missionaries in the land. The missionaries had brought the message of the gospels and also the new tide of modernity. The book tells in vivid language of the struggle of the missionaries in bringing the Evangelical Christian faith to the Bulgarian populace, of the clash with the East... More > Orthodox clergy and also of the interference from the Turkish authorities. The missionaries were like the apostles untiringly working and coping to spread the Evangelical Christian faith. They had succeeded admirably. New churches were built in the land and the new faith had transformed the Bulgarians giving them a new purpose in life. This was an epic saga filled with hardships and optimism. The author of the book, Rev. Hristo Kulichev, is part of this saga. He, along with many more Christians, had suffered during the communist rule over Bulgaria in recent times. He had been persecuted, abused and jailed for his faith and yet still prevailed just as the Bulgarian nation had prevailed centuries ago. Reading this book instills into the reader hope and optimism exemplified by the brave American missionaries and the brave Bulgarians.< Less
