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GEOGRAPHY

Area 102,173 sq.km. Balkan state comprising two republics, Serbia and Montenegro. Serbia has one autonomous province, Vojvodina, in the north and a special region, Kosovo, in the south.

Montenegro has only 6% of the population.

Capital Belgrade 1,750,000. Belgrade has been destroyed and rebuilt 40 times in its history. Urbanites 51%.

PEOPLES

Slav 74.5%. Serbian 6.6 mill.; Montenegrin 530,000; Bosnian 344,000; Croat 114,000; Slovak 68,000; Macedonian 48,000.

Albanian 16.5%

Other 9%. Hungarian 350,000; Roma (Gypsy) 300,000; Romanian 42,000; Vlach 18,000; Turk 12,000.

Literacy 93%. Official language Serbian. All languages 14. Languages with Scriptures 5Bi 3NT 2por.

ECONOMY

Poor and impoverished by 45 years of Communism followed by 13 years of self-seeking despotism. The break-up of the larger Yugoslav entity in 1991 and ensuing Balkan wars led to UN trade sanctions and ultimately to NATO military intervention in Kosovo with heavy bombing of its infrastructure and further reductions in living standards. Reconstruction will take time and much foreign investment. HDI & Public debt n.a. Income/person $1,900 (6% of USA).

POLITICS

The division of the Roman empire nearly 1,700 years ago created a major cultural and religious fault-line between the Catholic northwest and the Byzantine southeast of that region. Successive ethnic and imperial conquests further helped to make the Balkans a byword for ethnic hatreds and political intrigue. Yugoslavia developed from fragments of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Turkish empires between 1878 and 1921. Ethnic nationalisms in the country helped trigger World War I and provoke genocidal civil war during World War II. Communism imposed by President Tito in 1945 suppressed deep ethnic hatred between Serb and Croat, and Serb and Albanian. Tito's death in 1980 exposed the nation's festering wounds and loosened the ties between the constituent republics of which Serbia was the dominant member. The break-up of Yugoslavia began with the secession of Slovenia then Croatia in 1991, followed by Bosnia and Macedonia in 1992. The Serbian military opposed the break-up, leading to years of warfare against Croatia and then in multi-cultural Bosnia by attempts to link all Serbian enclaves in Bosnia and Croatia to the Serbian Republic. The remaining two republics have an uneasy and unequal relationship within the reduced federation. The manipulative despotism, nationalism and greed of President Milosevic and his henchmen were major contributory factors to the violence and 'ethnic cleansing' since 1991. Repression of Albanians in the Kosovo region led to warfare and NATO's take-over of Kosovo in 1999 with installation of an interim government in 2000. Though still nominally part of Serbia, the growth of extremism among Albanians in the region makes compromise and lasting resolution unlikely. The popular protests of 2000 forced Milosevic out of office. There is a gradual emergence of democratic government and normalized relationships with the world. Montenegro will probably vote for independence in a 2001 referendum, which would mean the ending of a Yugoslav entity.

RELIGION

Strong links between ethnicity and religion have exacerbated tensions in the Balkans for centuries. Both republics are predominantly Orthodox. Constitutionally there is freedom of religion, but with preferential treatment accorded to the Orthodox Church. Since 2000, the Orthodox have sought to re-establish the pre-Communist State-Church relationship and also push for discriminatory legislation against non-Orthodox minorities.

Missionaries from Yugoslavia
P,I,A 29 in 8 agencies to 5 countries.

Missionaries to Yugoslavia
P,I,A 52 in 17 agencies from 9 countries: USA 32, Sweden 6, Korea 4.

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Challenges for Prayer

1 Serbian nationalism, based on centuries of resentment of their victimization at the hands of other nations (Turks, Austrians, Germans, Croats, etc.), has wreaked havoc in the Balkans since 1991. The 'ethnic cleansings' of Catholic Croats, and Bosnian and Albanian Muslims have left a bitter legacy of hatred and revenge atrocities. Pray for deep repentance, forgiveness on all sides and a re-building of trust and cooperation for a better future. Pray for national leaders to be raised up who are free from the shackles of the past.

2 The Balkan Wars have left an untidy range of unresolved issues:

a) The Bosnian Republic partitioned between Serbs, Croats and Bosnians.

b) The future of Kosovo and its angry Albanian majority bent on seizing areas in surrounding states which have Albanian populations.

c) The several million displaced people whose homes and lands were destroyed and expropriated with little likelihood of return.

d) The need for justice and for perpetrators of atrocities to be apprehended and sentenced.

These issues will haunt Europe for decades to come if there are no effective political, economic and, above all, spiritual solutions. International bodies such as the UN and NATO are compromised and objective arbitration is hard to achieve. The indigenous religions – Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Islam – are part of the problem. Pray that the tiny evangelical community might prove a catalyst for good – it is the only body which has been able to retain multi-cultural fellowships.

3 Democracy in both republics is fragile and democratic institutions need to be strengthened. The growing influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church could limit this and religious freedoms be eroded. Pray for new life within this ancient Church and also that it may turn its back on its totalitarian instincts and support true religious freedom.

4 Protestantism has had a long history among the Hungarian and Slovak minorities in Vojvodina, but little impact on Serbs or Albanians. All Protestants number little over 110,000. There is much nominalism in the Lutheran and Reformed congregations, and revival is needed to free them from formalism and to enable effective witness.

5 Evangelical believers among Serbs number only a few thousand. Most Evangelicals are Hungarian and Slovak in Vojvodina and increasingly among the Roma (Gypsy). Evangelical congregations are few, small and scattered outside Vojvodina. The sufferings of the 1990s and outreach by Evangelicals to Serbian refugees from Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo have won appreciation and open hearts. Some congregations doubled in size in 1999 through conversions among refugees. Some Baptist and Pentecostal churches were damaged during the Kosovo War because of their perceived links with the West. Pray for continued growth in commitment, outreach and numbers.

6 Crucial issues for Evangelicals to deal with:

a) Unity.The Evangelical Alliance seeks to bring together Evangelicals, but some denominations and agencies remain aloof and do not participate.

b) Leadership training is limited and widespread poverty hinders the flow of people into ministry. There is one Bible school, the KES, run jointly by the Christian Brethren and the Baptists.

c) Cooperation in outreach and church planting.The churches can be as 'balkanized' as the politics of their region – hindering effective outreach to the many unevangelized areas. The Baptists and Pentecostals have set up the Jericho Project with the vision to plant 20 churches in 4 cities.

7 Outreach challenges. Serbia has one of the lowest percentages of Evangelicals in Europe. Specifically for prayer:

a) Many areas in the centre and south have very few believers such as the Valjevo area in the centre-west with 2 million people and one small Pentecostal Church.

b) Students. EUS(IFES) has groups on most campuses in Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad with 200 students involved. There is a burden to pioneer other areas for student witness.

c) War refugees are scattered all over Europe and the Balkans – possibly 3 million have been, or are, refugees – inevitably traumatized, but also open to change.

8 Montenegro is a mountainous republic on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is fiercely jealous of its tradition of independence and has been resentful of its ties with delinquent Serbia. It is deeply divided on the issue of complete independence. Issues for prayer:

a) Its political future – may wisdom prevail on the issue of independence.

b) Its spiritual renewal – nominally Orthodox; very few Evangelicals. There are 5 small groups with 300 believers and several missionaries working among Montenegrins.

9 Kosovo's future is gloomy and uncertain. Serbs regard Kosovo as the cradle of their culture and religion, but they were driven out by the victorious Ottoman Turks in 1389. Kosovo became part of Serbia after World War I but the Albanian Muslims there multiplied to become over 90% of the population by 1995. The Kosovo crisis was precipitated by Serbian suppression of Albanian culture and Kosovan autonomy. Albanian resistance led to Serbian 'ethnic cleansing' in 1998-99 through murder, rape, pillage and eviction of much of the Albanian population. In turn, this pushed Western nations to intervene and eject Serbian military forces in 1999.

a) A fair and just peace. The international NATO military force, KFOR, has sought to lay foundations for future development but is increasingly occupied in keeping apart the diminishing Serb and Roma minorities from the angry Albanian majority. By 2001 the Serb population had been reduced from nearly 10% to 2%. The future for ethnic minorities and the peace-keeping effort in 2001 is bleak; further bloodshed is possible in Kosovo and adjoining Albanian-majority areas of Montenegro, Serbia itself and Macedonia. Pray for moderation and wisdom among leaders of all communities, and for the right political direction for Kosovo to be found. Albanian extremism could mire the whole area in conflict for many years to come.

b) The Kosovo war saw over 10,000 Albanians killed and turned 80% of the population into refugees. Their rapid return and massive aid from foreign governments and over 300 NGOs turned Kosovo into a huge building site. Pray for effective coordination and cooperation to maximise the benefits and minimise the negatives (crime, economic distortions, dependency).

c) The Kosovar Albanian population is almost entirely Muslim, but there are some Christians. Catholics number about 4,000 and before the war 4 small, disunited evangelical congregations existed in Pristina, the capital, with several groups elsewhere. The impact of the war, efforts of expatriate Christian aid agencies and loving Christian help to refugees in Albania led to rapid multiplication of evangelical groups to 45 by August 2000. Pray that these new believers may grow in grace, and become mature and effective witnesses to Muslims.

10 Christian mission agencies have found it hard to establish long-term ministry in Serbia and Kosovo. Pray that openings may increase and long-term workers be called, and that every part of the country (or countries, should Kosovo and Montenegro become independent) be reached. Pray for an effective transition from short-term aid and rehabilitation ministries to long-term community development and discipling by those who are able to learn the cultures and languages. Significant agencies involved are: YWAM, GEM, IMB-SBC, Macedonia Mission, etc.

11 Many Yugoslavs moved to other parts of Europe as war or economic refugees. Funds they remit home are the main source of income for much of the population. Pray for effective outreach to Serbians, Albanians and others in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, France and elsewhere.

12 Christian media ministries:

a) Bible and Christian literature ministries have been hampered by the disruptions and wars. Pray for wise development of such ministries as peace returns so that local initiatives are not crippled by free, but less appropriate, literature from abroad. The Bible Society reports great demand for the Scriptures. There is one Christian bookstore in Belgrade.

b) Christian radio ministries. Christian radio programming is prepared by KES in Serbian and by ECM in Albanian for broadcasting locally and through TWR transmitters in Albania. TWR broadcasts 8 hrs/wk in Serbian.

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