History
Slovenes settled the country of Slovenia during the waning years of the
Roman Empire. Avar, French and Austro-Hungarian governments vied for control
over the country for centuries. Slovenia became a part of Yugoslavia after
World War I in 1918. Slovenia was occupied by the Nazis, Hungarians and
Italians during World War II. From 1945 to 1990, as part of Yugoslavia,
it was under communist rule.
Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 after the Yugoslav
government refused to adhere to established shared-governing procedures
in the unified state. The Yugoslavian Army invaded and, after a ten-day
war, was repelled. The European Union and the United States recognized Slovenia
as a sovereign state soon afterwards. May 2004 marks the entry of Slovenia
into the European Union.
Church
History and the Movement Today
The Roman Catholic Church had a strong presence in Slovenia by the 600s
AD and Christianity remained in Slovenia over the centuries. A large Slovene
family, the Banfis, immigrated to the U.S. from Vesisca, Slovenia, and settled
in Milwaukee. There, in the church of Joseph Wannenmacher, three of the
Banfi sisters were converted and baptized in water and the Holy Spirit.
One of them, Marija, married Ernest Mihok, a Hungarian Pentecostal in Milwaukee.
In 1933, Ernest and Marija Mihok traveled to Hungary and Slovenia to preach
the gospel to their own people. They stayed in the home of Joseph and Fana
Novak in Vescica where they held church meetings. Soon, many villagers were
saved in the Novak home—Joseph and Fana included. From there, the
Pentecostal movement spread throughout the country. Later, under communism,
religion was all but stamped out of the people. When communism fell, the
spiritual vacuum was filled by widespread occultism, alcoholism and drug
abuse.
Most Slovenes consider themselves to be Roman Catholic but do not practice
their religion. The Pentecostal Evangelical Church of the Slovene Republic
still ministers among the people. The church, commonly known as the Pentecostal
Union, reports the following statistics: 37 ministers and workers, 20 churches
and outstations, 973 members and adherents.
Additional
Facts About Slovenia
Capital:
Ljubljana
Area:
7,820 square miles
Population:
1,937,000
Ethnic Groups: Slovene (91 percent) Croat (three percent)
and others (six percent)
Languages: Slovenian (official) and Serbo-Croatian
Agriculture:
Potatoes, hops and wheat
Industry: Metallurgy, electronics and vehicles |
