Teodor and Dimitrina Oprenov (Baptist Union of Bulgaria) write:

On behalf of the Bulgarian Baptists we would like to thank you all for your prayer support during these days when the Parliament is making amendments to Bulgaria’s Law on Religious Communities and with this restricting religious freedom in the country.

Here is a short overview of the protest that we organized together with other religious groups (mainly Christians) in several towns in Bulgaria to defend the right to free faith expression for everyone.

We want to specifically thank those of you who were able to write to Government officials in Bulgaria, to our Parliament and to International institutions on behalf of the freedom of faith and religious rights in our South European country.

We encourage those of you, who might like to further help with writing letters to the Bulgarian embassies in your countries or directly to the main people and institutions in Bulgaria, to do so, since creating extra international pressure might be very important at present.

According to the information we have, the Bulgarian Parliament will be taking a second vote on the suggested changes to the Religious Law in Bulgaria on the 16th of November. If the vote is positive and if the law is accepted in this suggested version, we will be continuing with the protests from the 17th of November onward.

It is important to state that there is a wave of protests in the country at the moment. Mass protests are organized in many of the biggest cities against the cost of fuel in the country and for better care for the people who are challenged physically. Unlike our peaceful prayer protest, these demonstrations are asking the immediate resignation of the Bulgarian Government. Thus, there is a lot on the plate of the people in power in Bulgaria right now, and it is possible that the second reading of the Religious law propositions for change might actually be postponed for a later date.

Photos: Brian Davis

You find a longer report by Teodor Opernov on the EBF Facebook site.

An article by Ken Camp on the same issue is availabe here.

A letter by BWA General Secretary Elijah Brown and EBF General Secretary Tony Peck to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria is accessbale here.