The first national educational conference focusing on Adventist education was held on September 6, 2025, in Sofia, Bulgaria. The event brought together teachers, educational specialists, parents, and church members for whom Christian education is both a mission and personal responsibility.

The main guest speaker was Marius Munteanu, director of the Education Department of the Inter-European Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In his discussion, Munteanu presented the historical path of secular and biblical education, emphasizing the crucial role of Christian education in building the minds and hearts of the next generations. “Depending on how well we educate our future generations, the image of reality will be changed or not. We are decisive factors in shaping of both the minds and souls of our children,” he said.

In the afternoon, participants had the opportunity to ask Munteanu questions and exchange ideas during an interactive session. The program also included a presentation of existing educational projects in the country, Five Stones and Five Pebbles in Plovdiv, as well as the Colorful Hope project in Sofia.

Darina Petkova, the education director for Bulgaria, emphasized, “Our motto is: Adventist education is the place where knowledge and faith meet.”

And according to Boni Dimova, board member and co-organizer, this conference was “a good start and a step towards expanding the educational field.”

A particularly strong emphasis was placed on the vision for the future. Milen Georgiev, president of the Bulgarian Union of Seventh-day Adventist Church, shared, “Our priority is to establish a school with Adventist values, which will be not only for our children, but also a missionary tool for reaching those who appreciate the importance of quality Christian education.”

Teodora Ivanova from the Five Stones project stated, “I will take with me pleasant emotions because I see an awakening in the minds and hearts of people.”

Adventist leaders say that the conference was a “small step” towards a big goal, the establishment of the first of its kind Adventist school in Bulgaria.

The original article was published on the Inter-European Division news site. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.