In 2003 Ventzislav and Zlatina have been selected as CMS mission partners for work in mission education with the Georgian Orthodox Church. During the period 2003-2006 they were teaching: introduction to Islam, mission, church history in the Batumi theological college and used to organize and support different projects aiming to promote faith and knowledge in the region of Batumi, Georgia. From January 2007 together with their UK leave started and process of relocation. Because of CMS shifting policy Ventzislav and Zlatina should go to different from Georgia location, to Kiev –Ukraine. There they will be involved in the teaching process of local theological college and academy and also run a seminar in the famous Kiev-Moghilian academy. Ventzy will teach Introduction to Islam and Muslim - Christian relations and other theological subjects, helping in the same time to restructure and reorganize study process. Zlatina will be involved in teaching Greek and Church history and also helping in study program preparation. They have to help running recently opened web site of Ukrainian Orthodox Church, providing a
nd translating Christian news and articles from different languages. They will be linked to the already existing drug relief program run by several protestant churches. Once or twice a year they may also travel to Kazan, Russia. A missionary school known as Kazan Bible exists there and is preparing Christians from different denomination for doing mission in Islamic context. So Ventzy and Zlatina are going to be involved in two projects one in Ukraine and second one in Russia.
Ventzislav and Zlatina are from Bulgaria and both have considerable academic and cross-cultural experience, as well as each speaking more than five languages. Ventzislav was born in the city of Burgas on the Black sea coast. Since 1986, when he entered the Academy of Theology, Sofia, he has mainly been engaged with studies in different areas of theology. After graduating from the Academy of Theology in 1992, he continued his education at the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey, Switzerland and part of the University of Geneva. Ventzislav then completed a postgraduate diploma at the Centre for the Study
of Islam and Muslim-Christian Relations, University of Birmingham. In 1996 he was sent by the faculty of theology in Sofia to study Modern Greek language and culture in Athens and in 1998 he was accepted by the University of Athens' faculty of theology as a PhD researcher. His dissertation focused on the Pomaks, an ethnic Bulgarian people group who become Muslim during the Ottoman period, but have preserved many of their former Christian customs and traditions. In 2001 he was accepted by CMS as a study partner to do an MA at the University of Birmingham in the area of Islam and Christianity.
Zlatina grew up in Sofia, the capital, and went on to study history at its university. During her time there she was invited to Germany to further study German language and culture. In 1997 she studied in Greece together with her future husband Ventzislav, while she was regional secretary for Bulgaria for the Balkan Orthodox Youth Association, which has its headquarters in Athens. Zlatina had previously been secretary of the Bulgarian Orthodox Youth Movement "St. Evtimious of Ternovo". From 1999 till 2001 Zlatina was an MA history student at the University of Athens. Since 1997, with some breaks, she has been the chief editor of the Church Newspaper, the official organ of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Ventzislav and Zlatina married in 1998 and they have one son-Stefan, who was born on 2 May 2002 in Birmingham and one daughter-Iva, born on 6 April 2004 in Sofia. They both enjoy reading, fishing, mountain and seaside walks, computing, sports and now more than anything else... spending time with their children.
Prayer points:
As we are in process of relocation and Kiev, Ukraine is our future and final choice, please do pray for us and for our Ukrainian colleagues we are going to work with.
As we continue to be in a process of exploring and establishing new, additional link-churches, please pray that we will be successful, in time and easily accepted.
Please pray for good health of our children and especially for Stefan with his speech problems. Recently he started stammering and now is going through a long therapy. Please pray that therapy will give positive results; for his forthcoming surgery and for quick recovery.
Please continue to pray for Georgia and for all our friends and activities we left behind, as those months a crucial for fragile Georgian democracy. Please pray that this time civil war will be avoided and all political changes will be peaceful.
nd translating Christian news and articles from different languages. They will be linked to the already existing drug relief program run by several protestant churches. Once or twice a year they may also travel to Kazan, Russia. A missionary school known as Kazan Bible exists there and is preparing Christians from different denomination for doing mission in Islamic context. So Ventzy and Zlatina are going to be involved in two projects one in Ukraine and second one in Russia.Ventzislav and Zlatina are from Bulgaria and both have considerable academic and cross-cultural experience, as well as each speaking more than five languages. Ventzislav was born in the city of Burgas on the Black sea coast. Since 1986, when he entered the Academy of Theology, Sofia, he has mainly been engaged with studies in different areas of theology. After graduating from the Academy of Theology in 1992, he continued his education at the Ecumenical Institute, Bossey, Switzerland and part of the University of Geneva. Ventzislav then completed a postgraduate diploma at the Centre for the Study
of Islam and Muslim-Christian Relations, University of Birmingham. In 1996 he was sent by the faculty of theology in Sofia to study Modern Greek language and culture in Athens and in 1998 he was accepted by the University of Athens' faculty of theology as a PhD researcher. His dissertation focused on the Pomaks, an ethnic Bulgarian people group who become Muslim during the Ottoman period, but have preserved many of their former Christian customs and traditions. In 2001 he was accepted by CMS as a study partner to do an MA at the University of Birmingham in the area of Islam and Christianity.
Zlatina grew up in Sofia, the capital, and went on to study history at its university. During her time there she was invited to Germany to further study German language and culture. In 1997 she studied in Greece together with her future husband Ventzislav, while she was regional secretary for Bulgaria for the Balkan Orthodox Youth Association, which has its headquarters in Athens. Zlatina had previously been secretary of the Bulgarian Orthodox Youth Movement "St. Evtimious of Ternovo". From 1999 till 2001 Zlatina was an MA history student at the University of Athens. Since 1997, with some breaks, she has been the chief editor of the Church Newspaper, the official organ of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Ventzislav and Zlatina married in 1998 and they have one son-Stefan, who was born on 2 May 2002 in Birmingham and one daughter-Iva, born on 6 April 2004 in Sofia. They both enjoy reading, fishing, mountain and seaside walks, computing, sports and now more than anything else... spending time with their children.
Prayer points:
As we are in process of relocation and Kiev, Ukraine is our future and final choice, please do pray for us and for our Ukrainian colleagues we are going to work with.
As we continue to be in a process of exploring and establishing new, additional link-churches, please pray that we will be successful, in time and easily accepted.
Please pray for good health of our children and especially for Stefan with his speech problems. Recently he started stammering and now is going through a long therapy. Please pray that therapy will give positive results; for his forthcoming surgery and for quick recovery.
Please continue to pray for Georgia and for all our friends and activities we left behind, as those months a crucial for fragile Georgian democracy. Please pray that this time civil war will be avoided and all political changes will be peaceful.
Update: At present our family works in Kiev, Ukraine. Our work in concentrated mainly in few educational institutions: Kiev-Moghila state university, Center for theological researches and also help for the establishment and initial runing of new interorthodox university St. Andrew - a "joint venture" of metropolit Vladimir (Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate) and metropolit Methodius (Ukrainian Authokefalic Church).
