Challenges for Prayer

1 The Bosnian tragedy was provoked by the political follies of the West and Serbian nationalism distorted by the megalomania of the Yugoslav Serbian leader Milosevic

2 Bosnian refugees are scattered around the world as well as in Bosnia itself

3 The miniscule evangelical witness has grown since 1991

4 The unreached:

a) Only a very small percentage of the population has ever been clearly presented with the claims of Christ

b) The Bosniak Muslims — from only a handful, the number of believers in Jesus has grown to 300-400, but most are unreached

c) The Serbs

d) The largely Muslim Gypsy, and wholly Muslim Turkish, minorities have only a few specific ministries directed to their evangelization

e) Student ministry

5 Expatriate Christian input is needed if sensitively provided

6 Christian Media ministries

a) The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bible Society was formed in 1999 as a cooperative effort for Scripture and literature publication

b) TWR broadcasts 8 hrs/wk in Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian

c) The JESUS film is available in Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian and is in preparation in Vlach

Geography

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Area 51,129sq.km. Mountainous Balkan state bracketed by Serbia-Montenegro and Croatia.

Population (2000) 3,971,813 +3.06%AGR

Capital Sarajevo 485,855.

Peoples

Slav 88%; Other 12%.

Literacy 86%. Official language Bosnian. All languages 2. Languages with Scriptures 1Bi 1NT.

Economy

Bosnia was Europe's second poorest country before the Bosnian War. Unemployment 60%+. Income/person $1,380 (4.4% of USA, an optimistic figure).

Politics

Bosnia straddles the cultural divide between east and west.

Religion

Nationalistic religions have replaced Communism as the prevailing ideology and tend to be equally tyrannical and hostile to any who 'traitorously' deviate.

Churches in Bosnia

Missionaries from Bosnia

n.a.

Missionaries to Bosnia

137 in 21 agencies from 9+ countries

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