History
Greece became the birthplace of Western Civilization
and political thought nearly 2,500 years ago. Many monuments and structures
of government and worship from ancient times still stand in this small,
mountainous country of the Mediterranean Sea. Greece was home to many great
thinkers, such as Socrates and Plato, and was the country of origin for
what we know of as the Olympic games. Greece was part of several major empires
until winning its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829.
Greece's population is mostly involved in exporting, agriculture
and fishing. It has one of the largest merchant fleets on earth.
The Church Then and Now
According to Acts 16:10, Greece was one of the first
countries to be evangelized. According to 2002 statistics, 98 percent of
Greeks now belong to the Greek Orthodox Church. But, the percentage of evangelical
believers in Greece makes it one of the least evangelized countries in the
10-40 window. The Assemblies of God Ministries Center, located in the heart
of Athens, hosts the Bible School, our English-speaking International church,
a Greek church, and an Eritrean church. The Bible School uses 24 ICI University
level courses which have been translated into Greek for its two-year program.
It has three divisions: Greek, English, and another Greek division in Thessalonica.
The Retreat Center in Porto Rafti hosts many camps and retreats.
There is a Greek language magazine for everyday women to respond
to their needs with hope and draw them to faith in Jesus. "Hope for
Life" has been established to meet the high abortion rate in Greece.
This ministry encourages women to seek alternatives to abortion, produces
pro-life educational materials, promotes a healthy, Biblical view of sexuality
and helps post-abortive individuals experience hope and healing.
The Apostolic Church of Pentecost sponsors Christian television
shows that seek to evangelize unreached communities with a potential viewing
audience of two million. They also report the following statistics: 14 churches
and outstations, 620 members and adherents and 27 ministers.
Additional
Facts About Greece
Capital: Athens
Area: 50,494 square miles
Population: 10,647,000
Language: Greek
Agriculture: Corn, cotton, grapes and raisins, olives, poultry, sheep, sugar
beets, tobacco, and wheat.
Industry/Mining:
Chemicals, cement, cigarettes, clothing, fabricated metal products, petrochemicals,
bauxite, chromate, iron ore, lignite, and magnetite. |
