Dr. Stefan Bankov, founder of East-West Christian Solidarity, hosted a short-term mission team of junior-high, high-school and college-age students from Bel Air’s drama department in 1998. The team traveled to Bourgas, Bulgaria, where the team performed a rendition of the Parables to throngs of people in Dr. Bankov’s church. Alongside Dr. Bankov, our very own Dr. Michael Wenning and the Rev. Roger Dermody took part in baptizing more than 500 individuals in the Black Sea. Stefan Bankov’s ministry serves in eastern Bulgaria and ministers to the Bulgarian, the Turkish and the Gypsy people. Their mission is urban and rural with full church service to the people including outreach to more than 300 church groups around Bulgaria. East-West’s services are not merely limited to evangelism, but include a feeding program, educational program, and the printing of books and literature.

Bulgaria
Bel Air Liaison: Burk Wiedner

Dr. Stefan Bankov is the founder and president of East-West Christian Solidarity, a nonprofit religious organization. EWCS provides Christ-centered evangelism, preaching, teaching, and humanitarian aid to the poor of Bulgaria, an emerging democracy in southeast Europe at the crossroads between Western Europe and the Middle East.

EWCS Bulgaria today consists of four main programs: evangelism; preaching, teaching, and humanitarian relief. The ministry makes humanitarian provisions for the hungry, the poor, prisoners, the sick, widows, and orphans. The teaching outreach is a Bible-centered educational program for training pastors and other church leaders. Books and literature are also published as part of the teaching outreach. The preaching program features Dr. Bankov’s sermons developed over many years. Through evangelism, the ministry is penetrating Bulgaria’s ethnic minority communities consisting of mainly Muslim, Turkish, and Roma populations, baptizing new converts, establishing new churches in needy areas, and supporting existing churches with financial assistance, training and supplies.

EWCS has hosted two teams from Bel Air Presbyterian Church. The Drama team in 1998 performed at the Burgas church. Meanwhile, Dr. Wenning and the Rev. Dermody participated with Dr. Bankov in baptizing more than 500 in the Black Sea. The 20Something Fellowship team in 2001 helped construct a church in Velingrad and worshiped at churches in Velingrad, Sliven, and Burgas.

Contact Information

East-West Christian Solidarity
P.O. Box 491338
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(323) 653-3927
(323) 653-3929 fax
ewcsorg@pacbell.net