The man on the left in this photo is my friend Peicho Muhtarov. Peicho lives and works in Bulgaria where he pastors and serves with the Bulgarian Bible League helping them to plant churches.
I got to know Peicho through our European Church Planting Network program we run at Leadership Network
I don't write about our European operation too much, but we have worked with two dozen or so churches and planting organizations over the past few years in our goal to help them catalyze 500 new churches. I will write more on that in the coming days.
Peicho came to Atlanta to share about his work in Bulgaria and I was blessed to go hear him last Sunday at Calvary Church in Dunwoody, Ga.
He had a great message and testimony.
(That is his wife Dede on his arm and another friend from the Bulgarian work who came along)
But something he said just haunted me.
We were talking about his calling and work and he said: "David, I had a friend who was an evangelist and preached to many in my country after the openness. (the fall of communism) And they responded and became believers. Praise God."
But then he added:
"But the churches were not able or ready to receive them. They could not handle such an influx of baby Christians and the harvest was mostly lost. I want to make sure that never happens again."
And that is the haunting feeling I have had since he told me.
I have often used that scenario as an exercise with American Church leaders. "What if God moved mightily in your region, and massive numbers of people were becoming believers....How would you have to change your current way of doing things to disciple them?"
Those questions, many times conducted within our various Leadership Communities help leaders to stretch their thinking to get to new ways.
But Peicho has lived it. And it haunts him. And me.
What about you?
Dave Travis
Managing Director
Leadership Network
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