Hristian Staykov is an assistant professor of pharmacology and a medical doctor in Bulgaria.
When did you trust Christ?
I began my journey towards Christ in my late adolescence while searching to satisfy my curiosity about the supernatural. With a mind mangled by occult practices, personal problems, and the insanity in my high school, I was most of all searching for help. I found it in an online Bible, and at the end of 2012 (halfway into my second year in university), I started going to church. I got baptised a few months later.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
Several years of close one-on-one mentorship from a theologian friend and the love of other Christians have made me who I am today. Another defining moment was my five-year involvement in Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru), first as a visitor and later as a leader. It helped immensely by giving me a safe environment to grow spiritually, psychologically, and socially. The church I attend is exceptionally active and calls for a high level of performance.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
ELF and other FOCL initiatives I have attended have made it possible for me to network with other Christian leaders. This has provided me with a field of opportunities that I may take advantage of should a need arise. Also, as a young leader, I have been changed for the better by observing, learning from, and imitating the behaviour of senior leaders. All of this has impacted my ministry in numerous and complex ways.
What is your ministry?
By the grace of God, I have been blessed with the opportunity to minister by providing medical, psychological, and spiritual care to people in and outside of the church. I am also a part of the leadership team of the Bulgarian branch of the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA) concerning PRIME International (an international network of Christian professional healthcare educators) initiatives in Bulgaria.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I held a leadership position in Campus Crusade for Christ during my student years. I had various leadership roles in church-related activities. I have gained experience in leading discussions and educational research. I have been a social and medical work leader, mainly with university students, older people, and disadvantaged communities.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
By the mercy of Christ, I have a heart for doing God’s work and have been blessed with many opportunities to do so in influential academic, intellectual, and other high societal circles in Bulgaria and other countries.
