The Millet and the Rumelian Turks of Bulgaria

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Population: Millet - 300,000
Rumelian Turks - 700,000

One day, a Muslim woman named Nora insisted that a Christian worker come to her home with the following words: “I am completely disappointed by you. You visit a number of villagers, but never me! You often stopped right underneath our house to talk with different people. Look, I live in that white house over there.”

The next day the Christian visited Nora and was amazed by her genuine interest in knowing more about the life of the “prophet” Jesus (as Muslims know Him). Nora received a Turkish New Testament and began to read it regularly. Soon Nora started reading to her family from the New Testament and prayed in the name of Jesus “the prophet”. After several months she sensed that there were strange powers coming from the amulet she wore to protect her from illness, and these powers frightened her. A few weeks later she surprisingly lost this amulet. Since then it has become clearer and clearer to her that Jesus is not only a prophet, but the Son of God, the Messiah, whom she can trust in all of her needs and anxieties.

The Millet Turks of Bulgaria

Nora and her family belong to the Millet ethnic group (300,000 Turkish-speaking Gypsies). They are part of about one million mainly Muslim Turkish-speaking people living in Bulgaria (which has a total population of 8.2 million). The non-Millet Turkish speakers are called Osmanlis or Rumelian Turks. Islam is the second largest religion in Bulgaria (12 per cent), after the state religion Eastern Orthodox Christianity (71 per cent).

In the 1990s about 10,000 Millet came to believe in Jesus, but among the Rumelian Turks there are not even 100 Christians and no church. There are tensions between Bulgarians, the Millet and other Turks which are fed every year by various holidays which remind of past power struggles. Therefore it is difficult for evangelical Bulgarians and the Millet to reach Rumelian Turks with the gospel.

Efforts are under way in Bulgaria to proclaim the gospel to the Rumelian Turks and to train the Millet for ministry with the hope of creating Millet and Rumelian churches. However, the majority of those interested in the gospel are Millet. The Rumelian Turks are more integrated into the Islamic society and find it difficult to break away from it.

After 45 years of communism Bulgaria became a democratic republic in 1989. The country has profound economic and social struggles. Half of the population lives in the grip of significant poverty.

Pray for the Muslims in Bulgaria:

* Pray for economic and social improvement, including safer jobs, in Bulgaria.

* Pray for mutual forgiveness and acceptance between the different people groups.

* Pray that the Millet who believe in Jesus grow spiritually, are trained and create house churches (Acts 2:42-47).

* Pray that the Rumelian Turks come to understand that Jesus is more than a prophet; may they give their lives to Him and have courage to be different.

* Pray for the Muslims to be liberated from their superstitious traditions and occult bondages, and become secure in God’s mercy and freedom.

* Pray that the word of God will be effectively proclaimed through conversations, literature, music, radio and TV (Acts 4:31).

Background on Bulgaria (World Factbook)

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People’s Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into the EU. The country joined NATO in 2004.

Economy of Bulgaria

Bulgaria, a former communist country that entered the EU on 1 January 2007, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. Minerals, including coal, copper, and zinc, play an important role in industry. Corruption in the public administration, a weak judiciary, and the presence of organized crime remain the largest challenges for Bulgaria.

About Bulgaria

Population: 7,262,675 (July 2008 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth: 72.83

Ethnic groups: Bulgarian 83.9%, Turk 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian)

Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4%

Languages: Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8%

Literacy: 98.2% — Male: 98.7%, Female: 97.7%