Resolution of the European Methodist Council

At the annual meeting of the European Methodist Council, gathered in Copenhagen from 7-11^th September 2018 the members of the Council were shocked to hear in detail of the proposed changes in Bulgarian law which will have a serious impact on and severely limit the work of the Evangelical Methodist Episcopal Church in Bulgaria and the Church of the Nazarene (member Churches of the European Methodist Council) and of all other churches with a membership of less than 1% percent of the population.

The European Methodist Council has, since its inception in 1993, worked across borders in Europe to ensure we can share our gifts, resources and personnel to serve the communities where the member Churches are in ministry and mission. The changes being proposed in Bulgaria will bring to an end that ability to share together.

The European Methodist Council therefore expresses its great concern of the violation of the Bulgarian Constitution’s provision of the separation of Church and State and of the right of independence of all religious organisations provided by the Bulgarian Constitution.

The European Methodist Council urges the political parties who have introduced the changes to the Law on Religion in Bulgaria to withdraw their proposal.

The members of the European Methodist Council are now engaging their own national legislative bodies to ensure all are aware of the impact of the proposals on the freedom of religion.

The European Methodist Council is a membership body made up of the Wesleyan, Methodist and Uniting Churches across 35 countries in Europe.

For further information contact the United Methodist Church Central and Southern Europe Central Conference, Badenerstrasse 69,  Pf. 2111,  CH-8021 Zürich 1,Tel.  +41 44 299 30 60 bishop@umc-cse.org www.umc-cse.org