The Evangelical Church in Haskovo: A Historical Overview
It is often, and completely incorrectly, that Evangelicals are called sectarians. A sectarian is someone who has deviated from Biblical teachings, primarily due to ignoring the context of the entire Bible, while Evangelicals (also known as Protestants) are known for emphasizing the explanatory preaching of God’s Word, specifically the Gospel – the Good News of salvation only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, the name “Evangelist” – someone who has delved into the Scriptures, not deviated from them. Did you know that the first Bulgarian to graduate from the famous Harvard University was in fact an Evangelist? That was Stoyan Vatralski, the first preacher of the Evangelical Church in Haskovo. You can read more about his remarkable biography below. Now, let’s start from the beginning…
The Evangelical Church of Haskovo was founded in 1876.
It is a child of the church in the town of Merichleri, which owes its founding to the missionary work of Charles Morse. When Pano Shopov was pastor there, he and some of the more active church members would visit Haskovo, leading Evangelical discussions and distributing Evangelical literature. Around that time, Haskovo was visited by Evangelical bookseller D. Tenev from the village of Yusuzler. This is how sympathizers of the Evangelical faith began gathering in a Turkish house. The first followers were Kostadin Komatev, Lambri Mishkov, Mihail Monedzhikov, and brothers Dimitar and Lambri Kamovi.
For a time, Nikola Gandovski and Kostadin Zhelyazkov from the village of Omarchevo, near Nova Zagora, worked in Haskovo. They took charge of leading meetings, which took place at Lambri Mishkov’s house. The Evangelical group was formally organized into a society in 1878 as a branch of the Merichleri Church. A large piece of land near the city center was bought, and a sizable church building was constructed there. From October 30 to November 1, 1886, a church assembly was held in Haskovo, during which the society was officially declared a church.
The number of church members grew quickly. Persecution followed, especially during the time of Stoyan Vatralski, who was the first preacher. The church grew stronger still when Evangelical settlers from the villages of Merichleri, Mariyno, Briast, as well as from the region of Eastern Thrace, joined.
The following individuals have served the church as pastors and preachers: Stoyan Vatralski, Kosta Zhelyazkov, Veliko Petranov, Pavel Todorov, Kostadin Chavdarov, Ivan S. Popov, Ivan M. Tsakov, Alexander Georgiev, Dimitar Furnadzhiev, Iliya Kyutyukchiev, Stefan Gradinarov, Trifon Kraitchev, Vasil Angelov, Kostadin Bozovayski, Krastyo Tikhov, Georgi Kozhukharov, Krum Bumbarov, and Todor Bozhkov.
Few know that the first Bulgarian to graduate from Harvard was the first preacher of our church – Stoyan Vatralski. Born on March 7, 1860, into a poor shepherd family from Vakarel, Vatralski began his journey in the search for knowledge at an early age. He himself said that there was no school in his village, so he went to the nearby town of Samokov, where he completed two years at Samokov’s municipal school. This is where he encountered the April Uprising. But another kind of uprising was beginning in the soul of the young Vatralski. The next few years were formative for his life and career. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), with deep conviction and Biblical repentance, he embraced Protestant faith, forever tying his fate to the Evangelical community in Bulgaria.
Years later, Vatralski described his repentance as “the most important moment” of his life. Supporting himself, he continued his education at the American School in Samokov, where he spent four years (1878–1882), immersing himself in the search for knowledge and passionate Christian faith. These years set the stage for the next step in his life, which took him to Haskovo, where he preached for a year and a half with “remarkable success.” All this prepared young Vatralski for the pivotal event of his life – his departure for America.
Vatralski arrived in America in one of the northeastern states. Regarding his arrival, he wrote: “I arrived without any money and almost no knowledge of the English language.” Soon, Vatralski enrolled in the Western Academy in New Jersey, where he learned English. His stay there was not long, as by 1888, he graduated from the Theological School at Howard University in Washington, D.C. At that time, Howard was a young educational institution, barely 20 years old, primarily for African Americans and immigrants. This was likely why Vatralski was accepted there. Unfortunately, Howard’s archives do not contain information about Vatralski. Only his personal record with a note of his acceptance, the graduation date of May 1888, and his final grade – 70% – are preserved.
From the limited information available, it can be concluded that in the following four years, Vatralski preached at various churches, gave lectures on Bulgaria, and wrote for different newspapers. During this time, he came to the decision that Vatralski himself wrote about: “After prolonged research, I decided I must go to Harvard…”
In June 1892, on an early Sunday morning, excited and with tears in his eyes, Vatralski arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and for the first time in his life entered the “Courtyard” of Harvard University to become the first Bulgarian to graduate from Harvard. The prayer and dream of the little shepherd from Vakarel became a reality, preserved by history forever.
The next two years were phenomenal for young Vatralski. Following a “special” student track, he achieved what no other Bulgarian had achieved before. Although during his first semester he faced many difficulties, especially with the English language, and received average grades, Vatralski did not give up. Alongside his studies, he continued to write for various daily newspapers and publish poems. Due to his exceptional ability to recite and give speeches, as well as his long beard and strong European accent, his classmates called him the “Bulgarian Tolstoy.”
Even with a clear Balkan accent, Vatralski became known as an unbeatable orator. He won speech contests several times at Harvard and surrounding colleges. Just before his graduation in June 1894, Vatralski won a competition for the Harvard undergraduate hymn, which is still sung today during graduation ceremonies.
After graduating from Harvard, Vatralski lived in Cambridge, continuing to give lectures on Bulgaria. He was well known in the Boston community for his “public lectures” on Bulgarian folk customs and religions. In his numerous publications, speeches, and sermons, Vatralski was a staunch opponent of the Baháʼí Faith, which he considered a form of Islam. He held a similar stance towards the White Brotherhood, considering it a sect.
In addition to Boston, Vatralski was frequently invited to travel to many of the eastern states, including New England, Indiana, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire. He also traveled to Canada. He worked for East Entertainment Bureau, Ltd. in Boston and Wade Entertainment Bureau, Inc. in New York, writing for well-known newspapers such as The Boston Transcript, The New York Tribune, The Forum, and The Chicago Tribune. His fame was so great that all of them published the unexpected news of his departure for Bulgaria.
Leaving behind a promising career in America, in June 1900, Vatralski set off for Bulgaria. Just before his departure, he passed through New Lexington, Ohio, where, on June 16, 1900, he delivered a speech at the city hall in honor of J.A. McGahan, the war correspondent who first wrote about the April Uprising in the world press, thus helping to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. Visiting McGahan’s grave later that day, Vatralski promised to do everything possible to build an appropriate monument.
Before leaving American soil, from the port in New England, Vatralski sent the famous farewell poem to the Harvard newspaper Crimson, in which he wrote:
“Goodbye, America: You, mother of the better ego – goodbye! I must go, – otherwise I would betray the Divine truth, Sung by poets and good people: When Duty calls, in a man The echo must be heard: ‘Heavenly powers, here I am!’”
After returning to Bulgaria, Vatralski bought a house in Krasno Selo and married Vasilka in 1907. He only returned to America once for the 30th anniversary of his graduation from Harvard. In his early years in Bulgaria, Vatralski founded the Bulgarian-American Society, was also the president of the Bulgarian National YMCA, and served on the board of the English-speaking residents’ society in Sofia.
He continued his work as a poet and writer alongside his church activities as a Protestant preacher. His publications were numerous. The Man, Tales, Speeches, Essays (1933), Translated Works, Clear Spring, and Colorful Collection (1934) are some of his well-known titles. He also translated many Evangelical hymns, many of which are still sung today.
Vatralski’s work and career were highly patriotic. His political orientation was radical, but despite frequent requests for him to take on the role of a national leader, he never compromised on his Evangelical beliefs. Stoyan Vatralski used his numerous connections with world political figures as an opportunity to promote his homeland. For example, the Buckston brothers, Charles and Noel, helped him travel to the United Kingdom during the Balkan War (1912-1913), where he spoke and wrote in defense of Bulgaria.
Despite his fame as a scholar and patriot, Vatralski lived a life of modesty and seclusion at his estate in Krasno Selo. With sustained zeal and great patience, despite numerous threats and opposition, he devoted his life without hesitation to the development of Protestantism in Bulgaria. Until his death, he remained true to the Protestant principles and lifestyle that he had adopted during his time in America.
Due to his religious convictions, Vatralski was largely forgotten as a religious figure, scholar, and creator. His story remained obscured by layers of drastic political, economic, and cultural changes in Bulgaria, but only until today, when, a century later, his poetic prophecy is coming true: “… If today’s spirit does not understand you, After a hundred years, another will quote you…”
From the ranks of the church also emerged an unparalleled orator, according to the words of the Minister of Justice in the governments of Georgi Kyoseivanov and Bogdan Filov, Pavel Mishkov. He was born on December 15, 1887, in Haskovo, into a family of Evangelicals. He studied in the city and then graduated from the theological school in Samokov. In 1908, he went to the USA, where he graduated from the famous Bible Institute of C. Moody in Chicago. He returned to Bulgaria and served in Varna at the MECS (Methodist Evangelical Church). He was an excellent preacher. During his ministry in Varna, the church building had to be expanded. In 1919, the BEC (Bulgarian Evangelical Church) appointed him as a traveling evangelist. At the same time, he served in the church in Plovdiv. His evangelistic gatherings in various cities and villages of Bulgaria were highly successful, and he was practically the most productive minister of the SEEC (Society of Evangelical Evangelical Churches). Through his contacts in the USA, he received much aid after the 1928 earthquake. He entered into a serious conflict with the leadership of the SEEC due to disagreements over new theology and was expelled from the union. He became the head of the Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches until his death in 1938.
Dimitar N. Furnadzhiev was born in Bansko and received his primary education in the Evangelical primary school in the town. He studied for three years at the American theological school in Samokov, and in 1888, he went to the USA to continue his education. There, he graduated from college and theological seminary at Princeton while working to support himself. In 1898, he was ordained as a pastor after completing his education and married Zornitsa Karaivanova, who also studied there. They returned to Bulgaria, and he served in Kyustendil, Haskovo, Plovdiv, and from 1911 to 1930 in Sofia. After that, he became the rector of the Evangelical Seminary in Samokov and pastor of the church there until his death in 1944. He was a member of several international organizations and, due to his contacts, was sent many times by the Bulgarian government and various organizations as their representative to forums and on various missions. In 1903, VMORO (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization) sent him to the USA to raise funds for the victims of the Ilinden Uprising. In 1919, he was in Paris as part of the state delegation to sign the Treaty of Neuilly. After the war, he was sent multiple times to raise funds for refugees, the needy, and those affected by the 1928 earthquake. From 1911 until his death, he served as the religious representative of the Protestant community to the Bulgarian government. His authority within the Evangelical community is demonstrated by the fact that he chaired the BEC for 26 years. He was also the initiator for writing the “History of the Evangelical Churches” and established a committee to collect materials and write the history.
Stefan Gradinarov was another prominent Bulgarian who served as a pastor in Haskovo. He was born on February 14, 1888, in the town of Pirdop. After finishing his primary school, he moved to Sofia, where he worked as a salesperson in Ivan T. Ignatiev’s bookstore. Here, he became acquainted with Evangelism and changed his life. In 1905, he enrolled at the Theological School in Samokov, completing both the gymnasium and theological courses. He became a pastor in 1913. He served in Sliven, Ihtiman, Sofia, Haskovo, Plovdiv, and Burgas. From 1929, he took over the church in Pazardzhik, where he served until his death in 1964. He was involved in the administration of the BEC and SEEC and led the Evangelical Temperance Union for many years. He is credited with collecting the SEEC and OEC (Evangelical Orthodox Church) archive in the Central State Archives, which contains the only authentic documents of the Protestant community’s activities that are accessible. He was active in public service, being a member of the leadership of the Bulgarian Red Cross, the Federation of Temperance Unions, and the Society for the Protection of Children. In Pazardzhik, he was involved in the leadership of the citywide committee, the beautification committee, the cemetery maintenance committee, and others. During the wars, he headed committees to support soldiers’ families. He was awarded state honors.
An Evangelical school was opened at the church, which existed until 1905.
Bible workers at the Haskovo church included Tana Krusteva-Tsokova, Todorka Yaneva, Nevenka Karagyuleva, and Tyanka Mishkova. In Haskovo and the surrounding areas, Boycho Boev worked as a missionary among the Muslims.
Those familiar with the first translation of the Bible into modern Bulgarian (the Tarnovo dialect), known as “Slaveykov,” “Constantinople,” and “Protestant (Evangelical),” are well aware of the name of Dr. Elias Riggs. He participated in this translation and even co-initiated it with Albert Long, with Bulgarian members of the committee including Hristodul Kostovich, Konstantin Photinov, and Petko Slaveykov. Dr. Riggs was the representative of the Congregationalist or Union churches.
Currently, the church is served by the local preacher, Dejan Ivanov.