History
Macedonia was originally settled by the Greeks, but later conquered by Rome.
After the fall of the Roman Empire to Germanic tribes around 400 AD, it
came under the control of many other nations and people groups. The Ottoman
Empire (Turkish Muslims) controlled Macedonia for 500 years until they were
driven out during the Balkans War (1912-1913). The Axis powers occupied
Macedonia during World War II, but were pushed out by Communist forces,
which claimed Macedonia as part of a unified Yugoslavia under the rule of
Josip Broz Tito. In November 1991, eleven years after Titos death, Macedonia
declared independence from Yugoslavia. After years of political unease and
negotiations with surrounding nations, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
was recognized by the United Nations.
Church
History
Christianity reached Macedonia in the early years of the Church
thanks to the Apostle Paul. However, after centuries of war and political
change, many other religions crept in. Most Macedonians, who identify themselves
as ethnic Slavs, belong to the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Ethnic Albanians
there are mostly Muslim and account for about 20 percent of the population.
Only three percent claim to belong to other religions.
The
Movement Today
The volatile mixture of ethnicities and religions in Macedonia makes Pentecostal
evangelism difficult and, at times, dangerous. During the 1999 Kosovo Crisis
however, Assemblies of God personnel ministered to hundreds of thousands
of Kosovar refugees. In the continuing unstable political and social environment,
many Macedonians are beginning to respond to the gospel message and the
hope that only Christ brings. AGWM missionaries in Macedonia are assisting
the spread of the Gospel in church planting, children's ministries (including
Royal Rangers) and leadership training. They report the following statistics:
12 ministers, 17 churches and outstations, and about 1,000 Pentecostal believers.
Additional
Facts About Macedonia
Capital:
Skopje
Area:
9,928 square miles
Population:
2.1 million
Languages: Macedonian (official, 70 percent), Albanian
(official, 22
percent), Turkish (three percent), Serbo-Croatian (three percent), and
others (three percent)
Ethnic Groups: Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish, Roma and
Serb
Agriculture:
Grains, tobacco, corn, cotton, sesame, mulberry
leaves, citrus
and vegetables
Industry: Coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, ferronickel,
textiles, wood
products, food processing and buses. |
