Jonathan Augustine

Regional Superintendent
Church of God World Missions

Project Antioch

The darkness of the spiritual vacuum, born of the hopeless repression of atheism and communism, as well as the naïve, mystic superstitions of the people, led the disheartened Bulgarians to give up any attempt to strive toward anything that claimed to hold true spiritual enlightenment after the fall of the totalitarian regime (Nov. 10, 1989).

The spiritual zenith and phenomenal revival, which took hold in Bulgaria over the next five years, naturally led to the founding of hundreds of new churches and not a few denominations. Finding truth and light in Christ, thousands of souls were added to the Kingdom of God. Regardless of the fact that Christianity in the country was faced with a multitude of challenges, represented by a wide spectrum of church teachings and practices (varying from super-conservative to hyper-charismatic), the spiritual hunger and zeal of the Bulgarian people continued to seek out an adequate expression and manifestation.

The need for training the new believers, who had been added to existing evangelical communities during the waves of revival as well as the preparation of church workers, called to bear the responsibility of sacrificial care for the Body of Christ was crystallized during this difficult period for the Church.
In the vision that God gave in December 1996, He showed me a picture of impenetrable spiritual darkness, which covered Bulgaria. All of a sudden, in the distance, I saw the spark of a match being lit, after that the light of one solitary candle shone. The Lord spoke to me and said, “The deeper the darkness, the more visible the light”. As I contemplated this picture, other flames were lit and began to pass on their light from candle to candle, reaching to those around them. All of this continued until all of Bulgaria was enveloped in the bright light of a multitude of small candles. I asked the Lord, “What do these candles represent?” The Lord answered me, “These are the new believers, who have become Christ’s followers.”

The Bulgarian Theological College (now the Theological Institute of the Bulgarian Church of God) was founded with the goal of taking part in the fulfillment of the vision explained above. The College program and all the initiatives tied to it are dedicated to the preparation of men and women, who are called to raise the flame of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of Bulgaria (Matt. 5:14-16). The task we have set for ourselves is to create disciples of Christ (Matt. 28:19), who willteach others to follow Christ (2 Tim. 2:2) until the present harvest of souls in Bulgaria is transformed into harvesters for the last andgreatest harvest, which will reach all nations before the return of the LordJesus Christ (Matt. 24:14).

Regardless of the difficulties and continual challenges with which webattle, our hearts are filled with joy and the surety that we are God’s co-workers (1 Cor. 3:6-9) in the implementation of this ministry, which He Himself has begun and which He will continue to support, direct and bless until the awaited coming of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Jonathan Augustine
President Emeritus