Rev. Zaprian Vidoloff, Biography

Rev. Zaprian D. Vidoloff. Born July 27th 1882 Karnofolia, Plovdiv region. His father died in 1895, 9 years latter his mother. By the time he finished first grade Zaprian and his 4 siblings were parentless. In 1986 he leaves his village for the monastery ?Sv. Spas? in Sredna gora, from where he traveled to attend classes in the village Starosel. In 1898 he move with the igumen to the monastery ?Sv. Peter? close to village Batkun, Pazardjic region and latter on to the church ?Sv. Petka? Peshtera. There under the guidance of the teacher, writer Grigot Cheshmedjiev he finished 4th grade. In the village Kamenitca close to Velingrad he graduated second grade with distinction, however in great financial misery. He was promised paid education if he entered the monastic life in the Rila monastery. Latter Vidoloff settled in Velingrad where he worked as: hotel clerk, office assistant, salesmen. While serving in the military at Plovdiv he attended nursing courses. His thirst for knowledge let him to write to a few schools around the country, but he was rejected due to his old age. 1906 he was accepted in the American college at Samokov(Samakov). He finished for 4 years the 5 years program, while working in the publishing house to pay his tuition. Initially influenced by Buhner and Nietzsche he soon was influenced by the Gospel truth at the protestant college.

After his graduation he moved to Chirpan where he was baptized by Rev P. Doycheff, June 1910. After visiting majority of the Baptist churches in Bulgaria, he finally settled at Stara Zagora, he rented a building and started his preaching ministry. In 1912 he was married to Anka G. Chomoneff, fresh out of the missionary school at Berlin, after which they together came to Unites States, where they attended seminary. After the death of Rev. P. Doycheff the church in the town of Chirpan called Vidoloff as preacher, he answer their call January 1914. In January 1915 he was anointed as pastor (together with Levchev, Hristoff, and Tahtadjieff) by Raichev and Gerasimenko. During 1916 Vidoloff moved to Sofia as assistant to Rev. Sp. Raichev, where he started printing the newspaper ?Duxovni rechi? and tracks. He was elected as secretary of the Baptist Union and editor of magazine ?Evangelist?.

May 17th 1921 Zaprian Vidoloff left for USA as elected secretary of the Bulgarian legation of the Stamboliiski cabinet(he was stationed in Washington DC). Two years latter he became the vice-consul in New York. After the coup of July 9th 1923 he was called off from his responsibilities. In 1924 he took a missionary work among the Bulgarians in Chicago. There he continued the work in the ? Bulgarian Christian Mission? founded in 1908. After the death of the Bulgarian consul and the closing of his office in Chicago, the mission served as legal position of Bulgarian consulate. Vidoloff passed away in 1948.