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We are excited to announce
that our church has embarked on a partnership with two small churches in
North Central Bulgaria that are led by the same
pastor, Vladimir Blazhev. We will be in ministry together with these churches for years to come.
We are already exchanging prayer requests...we will provide financial
support for the pastor’s salary...and we will join together to seek ways
to further God’s Kingdom, both in Bulgaria and in Greensboro.
 Mustard
Seeds of Faith Blossom in Bulgaria!
July 21-30, 2008
The 18 Mustard
Seed Missioners to Bulgaria sowed, planted and reaped seeds of
blessings in Christ as they availed their hands, feet, talents, and
passion to the kingdom building partnership ministries West Market
shares with its sister churches in Pleven, Mizia, and Voyvodovo,
Bulgaria.
Children
laughed, created, listened, and learned. Adults shared, cried,
knitted, prayed, worshipped, grew, and became friends in Christ.
Music spanned the chasm of language and culture, as the shared hopes
and vision of the body of Christ were revealed through the melodies
of music both familiar and new. Hearts were transformed,
relationships were strengthened, theological questions were
pondered, and the love of Christ prevailed in and among these 18
missioners and their brothers and sisters in Bulgaria.
Curious? Ask one
of our missioners to tell you a story about their experience and the
ways in which their faith was nurtured and fortified. Have them tell
you about the precious children they shared the love of Christ with
at 3 churches and an orphanage. Ask our pastors, Dave Melton and Rob
Hutchison to share about the life transforming experience of sharing
their faith from a Methodist perspective with pastors from the
throughout Bulgaria and their District Superintendent. Ask the
musicians how it felt to communicate with greater than expected
audiences in a language that speaks to every heart and soul. And ask
 those
who helped to launch a Prayer Shawl Ministry in 3 partner churches
what it was like to knit with, to share with, and to love their
sisters in Christ in Bulgaria.
The smiles are
etched in our minds, the feelings are etched in our minds, and the
experience is etched in our souls forever.
Partnership with Bulgarian Churches is
Launched!
Report from our mission team's 2007 journey to
Bulgaria
A small
group of missioners representing WMSUMC returned in
June 2007 from their initial foray into Bulgaria. David
Johnston, Mary Ann James, Amy Kreimer, and Elizabeth Montgomery had
a successful first trip as they sought to lay the foundation for our
partnership with two small churches in northern Bulgaria near the
Romanian border—Mizija and Voyvodovo. Elizabeth Montgomery fondly
recalls her time in Bulgaria.
The warm smile of Vladimir conveyed at once a sense
of inner peace, hope, and love for Christ. While communication with
words was limited to the tireless and eloquent translations of his
daughter Nina, his faith as well as his devotion to his ministry and
love for his congregations was clearly evident. We had gathered in
the Blazhev home for the first of many meals we would share together
during the week. As we sampled the delicious traditional Bulgarian
food so lovingly prepared by Vladimir’s wife Nellie, prolonged
silence punctuated the stilted conversation which conveyed a sense
of excited anticipation and uncertainty. Slowly Vladimir began to
reveal his hopes for his congregations and the challenges they
faced, the team responded with understanding and encouragement. Soon
the awkwardness of the situation gave way to a sense of unified
purpose and commitment.
Surely the presence of Christ was in this place.
In the days that followed, the team was immersed in a
culture that was at once both strange and wonderful! Majestic
mountains descended into valleys of farmland dotted with the red
terra cotta roofs of small villages. Moving from Pleven to Mizija,
the gently rolling country side was painted in wide swaths of yellow
sunflowers that blanketed the land to the horizon. Although the
general populations of the bustling city of Pleven, the tired and
declining town of Mizija, and the small but hopeful village of
Voyvodovo did not necessarily convey a sense of commitment to faith,
the Methodist churches located there were like beacons of hope and
Christian strongholds in the center of societies that seemed to
value outward appearances more than spiritual depth. The love of
Christ was ever-present among the members of the Mizija and Voyvodovo
congregations, and they welcomed the team with great enthusiasm,
excitement, hope, and gratitude. As the team shared their personal
faith stories, they gazed into the loving eyes of their fellow
brothers and sisters in Christ.
Surely the presence of Christ was in this place.
The team was visted by the mayor of Voyvodovo, who
warmly welcomed them and engaged in excited discussion about the
possibilities for future ministry in this small village. Pastors
Vladimir and Daniel Topalski joined in the discussion with
enthusiasm, as they expressed their hopes and dreams for this
ministry and the ways in which they hope to build lay leadership and
grow their congregations through the committed relationship between
WMS and the churches in Mizija and Voyvodovo.
Surely the presence of Christ was in this place.
The eyes of each team member, as well as Vladimir’s
wife Nellie, brimmed with tears as they said their goodbyes.
Promises of return trips were made amid hugs, kisses, and silent
prayers of thanks to God for such a blessed opportunity to build up
the body of Christ in a foreign land.
Surely the presence of Christ was in this place.
A small group of
West Market Street members (Mary Ann James, Dave Johnston, Amy
Kreimer, and Elizabeth Montgomery) traveled to visit our partner
churches in late June 2007. Below are some photos from their
journey...
Photos from Bulgaria Mission Trip
 
   
Click
on individual pictures to see larger version
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United Methodist Church
Vojvodovo, Bulgaria |
Methodism in Bulgaria
dates back to the 1850s, but years of communism suppressed the once
thriving movement leaving only three churches with pastors by 1989. Since that
time, there has been resurgence in Methodism. There are now 36 churches, many
of whom minister to those on the fringes of society – the Roma (gypsies) as
well as Turkish and Armenian immigrants. The economy in Bulgaria, like most
of Eastern Europe, is poor with high unemployment, low salaries, and dim
prospects for economic growth.
We have the awesome
opportunity to partner with two small churches,
Vojvodovo and
Mizija.
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United Methodist Church
Mizija, Bulgaria |
They
are both located in small villages near the Danube River, which borders
Romania. Mizija is a small house church, and is the only protestant church
in the town of 10,000. Prior to World War II, Vojvodovo, a Czech and Slovak ethnic
church, was the fastest growing Methodist church in Bulgaria. During
communist times, the Czechs and Slovaks were deported, but since the
democratic changes, the church has been restored somewhat to about 35
members. They recently received a new church building in 2004.
Rev. Blazhev travels over 100
km each weekend to pastor these two churches in addition to another one in
Pleven.
As prayer requests come in,
we will share them, and we will continue to share additional information about the churches, and the ways that all of us can
contribute to what promises to be an exciting ministry for our congregation.
Click here for ZOOM MAP of BULGARIA
United Methodist
Church - Vojvodovo
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Vojvodovo Congregation |
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Information
about the village: The village of Vojvodovo is
situated 10 km away from the Danube River south of the town of Orjahovo. It has a population of 400.
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The
beginning: An organized Methodist community was
established in the beginning of the 20th century when Czech and
Slovak Protestants settled down in the village.
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History:
The Czechs and Slovaks initiated a strong active
church community. The presiding presbyter of the Vidin
region wrote about them..."In Vojvodovo there have been many
more births, baptisms, weddings, probationary members and full
members than anywhere else in our mission in the whole of
Bulgaria." There were regular worship services, Bible
lessons, and Sunday classes for children and adults. A
temperance society was established. At the 24th annual
conference, it was reported that the Vojvodovo Church was the
largest in the Bulgarian mission. The church building was
built with the labor and materials donated by church members.
The deporting of the Czechs and Slovaks from Vojvodovo served as
a heavy blow to the local church, but it didn't cease to exist.
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Restoration: After the democratic changes, a
restoration began of the remaining
small community. The
first worship services were connected with the visits of Pastor Bozhidar Popov and from 1995 onward, the Pleven UMC took care to
carry out weekly worship services.
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Present:
The new church building was dedicated in 2004.
It is situated in the center of the village and was built with
lots of enthusiasm and hope for the revival of the church.
There are regular worship services and work with children.
Number of adults/children: 30/5.
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Vision for
the future: We are happy that the inheritance has
been preserved and that there is such a lively Church in this
small village. It has an important mission.
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Mizija Congregation |
United Methodist Church
- Mizija
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Information
about the town: The town of Mizija is situated in
Central Bulgaria 5 km south of the Danube River. It has a
population of 10,000.
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The
beginning: After the restoration of the Church in the
neighboring village of Vojvodovo, a desire grew to establish a
Church in Mizija. The beginning was laid
in 1996 after a successful mission. A public hall was
rented. There is great interest towards the preaching of
the Gospel.
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Present:
Preachers from the Pleven Methodist Church travel
100 km in order to preach here. In 1999, a house was
purchased, and it is now used as a church building. It is in
need of renovation. The Methodist Church is carrying out
an important mission...there is no other Protestant Church in Mizija. Number of adults/children: 10/2.
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Vision for
the future: The Church has an important place in
the life of the town.
More Photos from our
Bulgarian Partners: (Click to see larger image)
  
Links to read more
about Bulgaria and The United Methodist Church in Bulgaria:
Map of Bulgaria
Click for larger map image
Bulgarian National Flag |
The Mission
of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Local
churches provide the most significant arena through which
discipleship-making occurs.
...From The Book of Discipline
of The United Methodist Church
IN MISSION
TOGETHER
is a partnership program,
coordinated by the
General Board of Global Ministries, and
designed to assist local congregations in the United States
to be in mission in a global setting. The particular
program that we are participating in encourages partnering
in shared mission and ministry with small United Methodist
congregations in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
The need to
revitalize United Methodist church buildings is urgent.
Local congregations in the world and U.S. are joining hands
and hearts to meet this critical need. As partners, they
covenant to be in mission together by:
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Listening to
one another openly and without judgment.
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Understanding and becoming sensitive to each other's
cultures.
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Exploring
the "true connectionalism" of United Methodism.
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Sharing
resources in response to spiritual and material needs.
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Sharing the
love of Jesus Christ through ministry together.
IN MISSION
TOGETHER partners make a commitment to...
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Be
in partnership for a minimum of three years.
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Contribute each year in financial support
(differs in each country, but typically ranges
from $3600 to $4200).
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Send a team to visit and make friends.
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Learn about the culture of your partner church.
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Share stories of personal faith together.
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Work together on a mission project.
Possible Partnering Opportunities
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Evangelization:
Provide aid for Bibles, hymnals, church
literature, youth events, and speakers who visit
hospitals, schools, prisons, and the armed
forces to share a message of faith.
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Education: Provide
assistance for seminary students, summer camps,
vacation Bible schools, Sunday schools, and
Disciple Bible Study classes.
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Social Outreach:
Provide support for scouting, Teen Challenge
(youth drug and alcohol rehabilitation program),
centers that serve senior adults, services to
help released prisoners transition back into
society, community economic development
projects, health-care services, and programs to
address special needs among handicapped persons.
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Salary Support:
Provide supplemental support for pastors'
salaries.
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Building Support: Send
Volunteers In Mission (VIM) to help with
construction and renovation projects.
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