History
The earliest people to live in the nation known today as Bosnia-Herzegovina
were the Illyrians. Roman legions conquered the Illyrians early in the establishment
of the Roman Empire. After the fall of Rome, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian
empires controlled the land for centuries.
Early in the 20th century, Bosnia-Herzegovina was a constituent republic
of Yugoslavia. During World War II, it was occupied by Nazi Germany. After
the war, as a part of Communist Yugoslavia, its people were hindered from
advancing technologically and economically as did Western Europe. When Communism
fell in Europe, ethnic disputes broke out in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Muslim,
Croat and Serb factions fought each other from 1992 to 1995. After the civil
war which depleted the population dramatically, the nation of Bosnia-Herzegovina
was divided three ways, with Serbs controlling about half the country. Since
1995, the United Nations and NATO have maintained a presence in the country,
attempting to bring stability and economic recovery.
Church
History
Very few believers existed in Bosnia-Herzegovina before the civil war of
the ‘90s. From 1948 until the war began in 1992, there were 3 Pentecostal
churches established, but when war broke out, all the leadership left the
country.
The
Movement Today
In 1991, Peter Kuzmic from Croatia established the Agape relief agency.
A branch in Bosnia-Herzegovina was led by a man from the church in Mostar
beginning in 1992. During and after the war, Agape distributed food to tens
of thousands of war victims, and established hot kitchens.
In 1993, Nikola Skrinjaric from Croatia moved to Mostar, ministering aid
and planting a church in West Mostar. At the end of 1994, he started meetings
also in East Mostar and began reconstruction of the destroyed church building
there. The building now houses the East Mostar congregation and the Bible
school, started in 1996, which trains national workers. Children’s
summer camps started in 1993 to bring relief from war to the victims of
the fighting.
Newly developed church leaders visited many of the other cities, meeting
with isolated believers, thus founding several of the churches presently
active in the country. Other faithful believers and workers have been used
of God to build up congregations as well.
The Assemblies of God works closely with the Evangelical Church of Bosnia-Herzegovina
and will be sending its first resident missionary family there in 2004.
The church reports the following statistics: 55 ministers and workers, 22
churches and preaching points, 723 members and adherents, and one Bible
school with 10 students.
Additional
Facts About Bosnia
Capital:
Sarajevo
Area:
19,780 square miles
Population:
3,365,727 - Serb 31%, Bosniak 44%, Croat 17%,
Other 7%
(note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion
with the religious term)
Languages:
Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian
Government:
Republic
Agriculture:
Corn, wheat, fruits and vegetables
Industry: Steel, mining, textiles and timber |
