On its last work day of 2018, the Bulgarian Parliament voted amendments in the nation’s Religious Denominations Act. A number of problematic provisions were pulled out of draft following local protests and international pressure.

According to the government, 508 Coptic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic churches have received its approval since February. At the same time, eleven churches were shut down.

Christians in Sofia expressed relief after very important changes were introduced in the proposed law after a key meeting of the Parliament's Committee for Religion and Human Rights with evangelicals and other religious groups. Parlamentarians will vote the rest of the law on Friday 21.

“We want the sensitivity of an important part of the population to be translated into regulations that effectively attack this social scourge”, the Spanish Evangelical Alliance says.

Amid Advent worship services, Bulgarian evangelicals ended their civic rallies with a workday vigil on Thursday and a snow-flurry street protest on Sunday.

Protests and prayers continue in Bulgaria for the sixth week.

“Dozens of letters arrive in support to this cause, millions support us”, says the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance. Prayer vigils planned for the next days.

More than 3,000 people prayed in Sofia in the third Sunday of rallies. The bill that would severely restrict religious freedom has not been passed yet.

Bulgarian lawmakers concede some restrictions in a new Religion Denominations Act after international pressure and intensive protests. A new constraint however threatens the legal existence of many denominations.

“We highly appreciate all the letters you sent to our government officials. We pray that they will consider them carefully”, says the President of the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance, Rumen Bordjiev.

The Spanish Evangelical Alliance denounces “the erroneous imposition of political authority in the religious life” of Bulgarians, in a letter to Members of the European Parliament.

The European Evangelical Alliance and the World Evangelical Alliance issue statements calling to stop a legislation that would give “huge and unnecessary powers to the Bulgarian State to interfere with faith communities”.

A reform of the Penal Code would lead those who practice “anti-gay therapies” to jail. Churches respond with prayer to gender ideology plans of the new President.

The World Evangelical Alliance denounced at the UN Human Rights Council that people in these Asian countries “are experiencing more and more restrictions on freedom of religion or belief”.

The Spanish Evangelical Alliance says in a statement that the draft law is “in fact, an assisted legal suicide, wich does not respond to common situations of severe suffering”.

During a plenary session, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani called for her immediate release.

The laws punishes human trafficking, but prostitution remains unregulated. Christian organisation Esclavitud XXI hopes the Nordic Model will be adopted soon.

“We want people to remember their Creator during their youth, and then to run fast, shining brightly for His glory throughout their working lives”, says Graduate Impact coordinator Tim Vickers.

Romania’s senators voted to change the country’s constitution so that it defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The national referendum will be held in October.

Only those who know they are completely powerless before God, and accept what God did for them, can be saved.

“As a Christian, the principle of loving my neighbour leads my way of life”, says Norbert Valley. He has received the support of the Evangelical Alliance.

“The psychological fallout from medical abortions completed at home can be severe”, Philippa Taylor of the Christian Medical Fellowship says.

The minister for families said it is “an important step toward the legal recognition of people whose gender identity is neither male nor female”.

In all we do as Christians in Nepal we must now not be afraid but act wisely.

There were 38 votes against the Bill, 31 in favor, and 2 abstentions. The Bill cannot be presented again this year, but it will be a key issue in the 2019 presidential election campaign.