This interview appeared on Bulgarian TV regarding the Alpha conference in Sofia and it also included how the congregation at Southlake Church volunteered at Roosevelt High school.
Overview on the Alpha Conference for the Orthodox in Bulgaria 2014.
This is my second trip to Eastern Europe for the Alpha course. This time I met with Eastern Orthodox priests that are attending the Alpha conference for Orthodox clergy, in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In Bulgaria, the Alpha course has been offered by Orthodox Christian clergymen, with the blessing of their respective hiearchs, since 2006. This conference is being held with the blessing of the Patriarch of Bulgaria.
In 2013, many of you supported our efforts for our trip to Romania. At that time there were 5 priests using the Alpha course. In 2014 there are 24 Romanian Orthodox priests going to the conference, with the blessing of their respective hiearchs. Thank you again for all your prayers.
The leaders of the Alpha course are very conscious of the different traditions and doctrines of the various denominations. It is with this awareness, that they present the Alpha course as either an introduction to the Christian faith, or as some denominations would prefer to call it, a pre-introduction of the Christian faith. Regardless, the world sees our holidays and the many different styled cathedrals and rituals and have concluded that this is not relevant to the modern world and it's many problems. But as we all know, the words of Christ in today's world are very relevant, and that is what Alpha introduces. After the Alpha course, the new believer can find their role in the context of their own culture and denomination, as to how to best serve His purposes.
A lecture in session. All the lectures were translated in Bulgarian, Romanian and English.
The speaker, Fr. Ionut, is using the Alpha program in the Romanian prison we visited last year. Elena, Alpha's national director in Romania, is translating for Fr. Ionut.
Another session about to begin.
Sandy Millar, being interviewed by the TV crew, is a Bishop in the Anglican church and one of the founders of the Alpha course.
Part of the Romanian and Bulgarian delegation.
Part of our Alpha team at our "last" supper.
The last day in Bulgaria.
The last day included a visit to a monastery. It was built in the mid 1800's. Away from the hectic daily life, surounded by nature and ancient Christian traditions, made this visit a very spiritual event.
The Monastery of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God (Bulgarian: Троянски манастир „Успение Богородично“) or, as it is more commonly called, the Troyan Monastery is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria. It is located in the northern part of the country in the Balkan mountains and was founded no later than the end of the 16th century.
The main church of the monastery was reconstructed near the end of Ottoman rule during the Bulgarian National Revival period by a master-builder called Konstantin in 1835.
The ornate interior and exterior of the church were painted between 1847 and 1849 by Zahari Zograph, a popular Bulgarian painter of the time, who also painted the central church of the Rila Monastery, the largest monastery in Bulgaria.
The iconostasis in the central church is a wood carving dating to 1839.
Above the Altar.
The Abbot of the monastery (on the right) with a Serbian Orthodox priest (on the left).
The Monk is Bishop Sioniy. He is a Bishop and the Igumenos (Abbot) of the monastery.
Serbian priest.
Church service Thursday AM.
The service was performed by the Bulgarian priests in Bulgarian (pictured above). These are the Romanian priests that sang the hymns in Romanian (pictured below).
A closer view of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.
The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria
Monday, October 20, 2014
Monday night I had dinner with the Bulgarian National Director of Alpha. We had a wonderful time. It was as if we knew each other for many years.
He is doing the Alpha work in Bulgaria full time. He also started a homeless shelter as of a result of doing one of his Alpha courses. He and his wife have 3 young children.
He is very active with the Orthodox leadership. He is very respectful of all of the church's traditions and concerns, and makes sure he obtains and receives all the appropriate approvals from the Bishops and the Patriarch. I am very impressed with his humility, grace, and his heart to serve. The reason there is so much interest in him, and the Alpha course, is because of the very good results Alpha is having in the prisons in Bulgaria.
Both the Orthodox Church leadership, and the government officials that are responsible for the prison system, know the Alpha course has changed the lives of many inmates.
Tuesday, I will meet him at 7:00 am for breakfast. The Romanian priests will be arriving Bulgaria throughout the day. I hope to visit with our Romanian friends when they arrive.
Later in the evening, everyone will attend a dinner with Sandy Millar (co-founder of Alpha), and his wife, Annette, (who is also very active with Alpha's ministries).
The variety of needs in Europe are limitless. God will open opportunities for each of us that seek to serve Him. With Alpha, what we do in our own local area, is helpful in other parts of the world too.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
The past two and half days were full of meetings. It was very interesting to see people from different countries, cultures and traditions with a common purpose. We were all sharing ideas and encouraging each other, while very respectful of the areas, where there are differences.
I met several Orthodox priests who are using the Alpha course in prisons and they are having the same wonderful results we are having in our prison in Portland.
There were priests that were new to inter-denominational collaboration, and expressed concerns about doctrinal differences. The Alpha leaders and their fellow Orthodox priests explained to them how to handle those differences.
Sandy Millar (the founder of Alpha), several Orthodox priests and I, were interviewed by a TV crew from the Orthodox station. It went very well.
I also met a Protestant pastor that has a prison ministry, and in one of his Alpha courses, an Iranian came to faith in Christ. He has told his friends, and so many have responded, that now they have a church in Farsi and they also do the Alpha course in Farsi as well.
One of the speakers was a former Protestant that converted to Orthodoxy many years ago, and is supporting the Alpha program.
I met with the European Alpha leadership team. From the Netherlands, Switzerland, France and London. They are working with Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox leadership to support this program in their ministries.
It was very special for me to meet Sandy Millar and his wife Annette. They could have been like many others in their age group, retired and filling their time with hobbies and social visits. Instead, they travel and invest their time and energy to encourage us. They took the time to speak with as many people as possible throughout the day and night.
Thursday morning we all went to a Bulgarian Orthodox church for a liturgy, and about 25 Bulgarian and Romanian priests from the conference were performing the service. Both the service and the singing was beautiful.
The Alpha team is also partnering with Western European churches that have a passion to help the Eastern European churches.
Friday is a trip to a monastery and a meeting with a bishop. Saturday we start our trip home.
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