Why Do They Leave? An Ethnographic Investigation of Defection from Turkish-speaking Roma Churches in Bulgaria

A rapid increase in the number of Christians and churches among traditionally Muslim Roma occurred after the fall of Communism in Bulgaria, but this growth was followed by stagnation and decline in the number of people attending churches. This article describes an ethnographic approach to investigating the reasons for the decline, and in particular the reasons why people left churches. The results of in-depth interviews with people who stayed, people who left, and church leaders are reported and discussed. Implications for the Millet churches in Bulgaria and for missionaries and local Christians in other contexts are outlined.