Viktor

Viktor is a lawyer and a missiologist (Sofia University Law School 1992, licensed 1992; Ph.D. in missiology, 2008). He has worked in Christian ministry since his conversion in 1991. The proclamation of the truth of the Gospel, and defending justice, including through helping the Christians against government persecution and reaching out to the needy, are the main goals in life and work. He is also a family man, defending the traditional Christian values and family in society at large.

Short Bio

Viktor Kostov, Ph.D. is a lawyer and a missiologist. He holds his law degree from Sofia University (1992) and a doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Graduate Schools in California, USA (2008). He is a member of Sofia Bar Association and works in the area of constitutional law and fundamental human rights, including freedom of conscience, religion, and speech and has held his law license since 1992. Viktor does not shy away from taking cases in the lower courts defending freedom of speech or of poor Christians and who are pressed because of their faith. Viktor has defended law cases before the Supreme Courts of Bulgaria and the Constitutional Court. He is an allied attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom International and working with his colleagues has won cases on religious freedom at the European Court of Human Rights, the last in December of 2022. He has publications in English and Bulgarian scholarly journals, magazines, and popular media on the subject of freedom, politics, human rights and theology as well as is a frequent guest in TV programs. Viktor’s organization is the publisher of a website and printed magazine for theology, law, and human rights since 2004 – Freedom for All , where he is the editor-in-chief. Some content in English at an abridged version of the publication.

Personal testimony

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live”
– John 11:25

I was born in Bulgaria, in the dark times of compulsory communism and atheism, to an average family of a father, a chemical engineer and local party apparatchik, and a mother who worked at a chemical plant as quality control. My paternal grandmother was an underground Christian convert, who had prayed for my salvation. It was a time of hopelessness and spiritual bondage.

I grew up and was educated in the totalitarian atheist school system. I could not reconcile my need for answers to my fundamental existential questions and the fact that the system never provided such; neither did they bother to recognize that such a question was of importance.

At the age of 25, I was tired of being anguished by my fruitless search for meaning and internal peace. I had no relief from the haunting fear of death and the chronic, inexplicable guilt I had felt ever since age 9. During that year of my life, I found the way out of this internal prison. I was told the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After several months of intellectual struggles and anguished consideration of this new paradigm of God and salvation, I became a Christian, born from above and filled with the Holy Spirit, according to the Scriptures.

Generally, each man’s path of salvation is a pilgrimage of choices, decisions, trials, and sanctification, in search of Biblical truth and revelation. In order to finish the race as a good servant of God one must rely on truth and grace.  Since the summer of 1991, my life has been marked by the goal to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, and serve God and His kingdom.

Becoming a Christian in an idolatrous and atheist environment is a paradigm shift which leaves a lasting impression not only on the convert (me in this case) but on his relatives and friends. Although my conversion to Christ was never a popular decision among my friends and family it has been the sole event in my life which marked the leaving of darkness and entering into light.

Through Jesus Christ, I received utter freedom from sin, confusion, moral uncertainty, and spiritual nonsense. Most importantly — I was free from the fear of death. “For it is appointed for a man to die once, then judgment” (Heb. 9:27)

Being in ministry for the Gospel, with the purpose to glorify Him and uplift the Truth of His Word, has been a privilege and joy for me. Throughout the years it has been exciting to experience the truth of Christ’s teaching that losing one’s life in this world will help you find it in Christ and for eternity (John 12:25). Dying to our selfish ambitions and replacing them with godly ones is a daily struggle on the road to finishing the race of life successfully.

IMG_7805Being married to a Californian, also a devout follower of Jesus and a great mom and missionary, has proved to be one of the many blessings of the Christian life. We have three sons. At this time are all grown up and in college and working.

More about the work I have written elsewhere on this website. If you write to me I will personally respond to each email. Thank you for visiting and may God bless you.

— Viktor