Dwight Gibson, North American Associate Director, World Evangelical Fellowship, interviews Nikolai Nedelchev, an evangelical leader in Bulgaria, on the effects of Western Christian efforts to assist his country.

In the last four years there has been a great influx of support into the countries of Central Europe.  What is the impact of such aid?

A few weeks ago we tried to put it into percentages:  about 10 percent is positive and 90 percent is negative.

How come?

Some of the donated materials were in bad condition and this gave a wrong impression of the donors and also gave a wrong image of the evangelicals in the country.  It also destroyed the spiritual ministry of some of the pastors who were involved in receiving and distributing the donations.  There is always a tendency to have friends and to give to those who are your people and to neglect others.  What is even more important is that the energy of the people was put into humanitarian aid.  This is not bad but it must not come first.

By "humanitarian aid" you mean...?

Mostly food but also clothing, equipment, cars, money for projects which are not realistic and without good management...whose leadership is not in committees but by one person only.

What kind of questions should donors ask themselves before they start giving aid to a country, group, or individual?

The first question should be:  What kind of testimony will this be for God?  The second question should be:  What kind of testimony will it be to people who are not believers?  The third question should be:  How responsible are the recipients?

In Bulgaria, what do you understand the term "accountability" to mean?

It is our understanding that we must be accountable to God, to each other, to committees.  But some understand it in a wrong way.  They say that they are accountable only to God.  They need not put anything on paper.  They say that what the left hand is doing, the right hand must not know.  This opened the door for many, many bad things.

Are you able to think of some of the positive aspects of such aid?

The positive help was when people came first to build up relationships.  They shared ideas.  They shared their experience.  They helped the churches with literature and Bibles.

If someone came to you and said "I want to help," what would you think about?

First of all I would want to understand their motives.  Why do they want to help me?  Is it because they love me and see that I am in need or do they just want to show how big and rich they are?  There are great needs here but it is better when donors ask how they can help.  I see that as the start of a good relationship.

Many groups have made promises of help which they have not kept.  What is the effect of unfulfilled promises?

Mistrust.  Our people ask:  Why are they playing games with us who are needy?  It is better not to promise.

Editor's note:
Nikolai Nedelchev, a former professional soccer player, is director of the Bulgarian Biblical Academy-Logos and chairman of the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance.

Excerpted with permission from World Evangelical Fellowship's Evangelical World  (July 1993), 3. 
Nikolai Nedelchev, "Bulgarian View of Western Aid: 10% Positive, 90% Negative," East-West Church & Ministry Report, 1 (Fall 1993), 7-8.