Encouraged by the Church in Bulgaria
Written by ANDY JOHNSTON
Just last month, I visited Georgi Zafirov in north-west Bulgaria. Georgi is a longstanding friend whom I have visited often over the last 20 years. He leads a network of around 12 churches between Sofia (the capital) and the Romanian border, an area generally regarded as the poorest region in the EU. Georgi has done a wonderful work, planting churches that serve both Bulgarians and the often-neglected Roma community.
On this visit, I was joined by Matt Small, who leads the team at King's Church Bishops Waltham. The itinerary was busy. In the space of four days, we visited and preached in five different churches and also spent a whole Saturday providing theological training for a group of eager leaders.
Georgi and his wife, Gali, are wonderful hosts. They are kind, generous, warm-hearted people who are full of faith. Over the last 25 years of serving God together, they have seen Him do amazing things. They have built churches where no one else wanted to go—places considered too small, too poor, or too unimportant. These are surely just the sort of places that Jesus loves to work!
The church in Montana, the newest of their church plants, is made up of 40 or 50 people. The week before our visit, they took up an offering for another group of churches with which I am connected in Malawi. Malawi is one of the five poorest countries in the world. I love the generosity of the Montana church. It is so like the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8–9, who were simultaneously among the poorest and yet among the most generous believers that Paul worked with.
On this visit, I was joined by Matt Small, who leads the team at King's Church Bishops Waltham. The itinerary was busy. In the space of four days, we visited and preached in five different churches and also spent a whole Saturday providing theological training for a group of eager leaders.
Georgi and his wife, Gali, are wonderful hosts. They are kind, generous, warm-hearted people who are full of faith. Over the last 25 years of serving God together, they have seen Him do amazing things. They have built churches where no one else wanted to go—places considered too small, too poor, or too unimportant. These are surely just the sort of places that Jesus loves to work!
The church in Montana, the newest of their church plants, is made up of 40 or 50 people. The week before our visit, they took up an offering for another group of churches with which I am connected in Malawi. Malawi is one of the five poorest countries in the world. I love the generosity of the Montana church. It is so like the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8–9, who were simultaneously among the poorest and yet among the most generous believers that Paul worked with.
