Dear Friends,
This week, please join us in prayer for Radostin Marchev in Bulgaria.
A mountainous republic flanked by the Danube River to the north and the Black Sea to the east, Bulgaria is home to 6.5 million people. According to the 2021 census, 65% of Bulgarians are Christians (primarily Bulgarian Orthodox), 16% are unaffiliated, 10% are Muslims, and 10% provided no response. Bulgaria’s vibrant culture reflects historic Thracian, Slavic, Bulgar, and Ottoman influences. Once part of the Eastern Bloc, Bulgaria was a socialist state from 1946 until the 1989 revolutions. Today, the country struggles with government corruption, a declining population due to emigration and low birth rates, and economic recession and inflation. Pray for the Church in Bulgaria as it ministers in this context, proclaiming Jesus Christ and the hope found only in Him.
Radostin is pursuing a PhD in Theology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. His research examines the Virgin Mary’s place in theological dialogue between Orthodox and Protestant Christians. In Bulgaria, some misunderstanding and hostility persist between Orthodox and Protestant believers, who respectively make up 63% and 1% of the population. Through his research, Radostin seeks to foster mutual understanding and cooperation by articulating clearly where the two traditions converge and diverge theologically.
In addition to his studies, Radostin serves as Director of Education for the Baptist Union of Bulgaria. The Baptist Union currently trains 70 students at five study centers across Bulgaria. Radostin also supports his family and ministries through his work at a transport company operating in the Port of Varna along the Black Sea. Radostin and his wife Tzvetanka have two daughters: eleven-year-old Zornitsa and nine-year-old Daria.
Radostin shares the following message:
Thank you for your prayer support.
Last year was quite difficult for me, mainly because of the economic recession and the rise of fuel prices – a very bad combination for workers in the transport sector like me.
As a result, pressure was high, and time for additional work on my PhD didn’t happen easily. It seems that the next year will continue in the same vein.
Please pray for wisdom to divide my time wisely, as well as for strength to fulfill all the necessary reading and writing.
Blessing,
Radostin Marchev