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Statistics |
Prayer Profile: Bosnia-Herzegovina, formerly a republic of Yugoslavia, is a country of 3.5 million people. There are Muslims, Croats and Serbs. About 1/2 million people from Bosnia live as refugees and are dispersed primarily throughout Europe. All Bosnians speak a form of what was known as Serbo-Croatian before the war. Now the language is known as Bosnian in Bosnia. There are slight dialectical differences between Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats, and the Bosnian Muslims are including more Arabic words in thei r dialect as a result of a raised consciousness of their Islamic heritage. Bosnians have three main religions: The Bosnian Croats are Roman Catholic, the Bosnian Serbs are Serb Orthodox and the Bosnian Muslims are Islamic. In all three faiths, most of the adherents are secular and thus the faith moniker serves more as an ethnic distinction for them. The Bosnian Muslims were originally Bogomils, adherents of a heretical Christian doctrine, who sought refuge in the mountains of Bosnia from persecution by other Christians during the Middle Ages. They converted to Islam when it became evident that the expanding Ottoman Empire from present day Turkey would protect them and promote them into leadership positions. The conversion was one of convenience rather than conviction. There are also a few remaining Jews in Bosnia, but no active synagogues. There are about 400 Christians in all of Bosnia, about 350 of whom became Christians during or since the Balkan Wars (1991-1995). The percentage Christians is thus 0.01% It is important to note that the Dayton Accord, signed December 1995, separates Bosnia and Herzegovina into two virtually equal parts. The Srpska Republika (Serbian Republic) is ethnically Serbian. The Federacja Bosnia Herzegovina (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) is shared between Muslims and Croats. The Dayton Accord divides the land militarily and politically roughly along ethnic lines and is meant to bring a certain degree of stability and peace to the region. The borders are being patrolled by a combination of NATO, UN and EU (European Union) troops. The once beautiful alpine city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is historically the site not only of the 1984 Winter Olympic games, but the flashpoint of the First World War. It was here that a Serb nationalist took aim and assassinated the Habsburg heir-apparent, Archduke Ferdinand, and his wife as their vehicle crossed over a bridge in downtown Sarajevo. World War I broke out and the Habsburg dynasty was dissolved at war's end. There are no local Alliance churches in Bosnia. There are now about 10 evangelical churches/house groups in both the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Muslim Croat sector) and the Srpska Republika (Serb sector). There is only one Bosnian pastor to date. There are about 7 other leaders who have come from the Republics of the former Yugoslavia, namely Croatia, Serbia and Voyvodina, who are ministering in Bosnia. As well, there are about 10 missionaries from the West - either North America or Wester n Europe - ministering in church planting. Bosnian Muslims are most responsive to the Gospel. Bosnian Serbs are the next responsive; and Bosnian Croats are least responsive. There are two Latin script versions of the Bible available (for Croats), both antiquated; one Cyrillic script (for Serb Orthodox), antiquated; a new translation of the New Testament contextualized for Muslims is in process. There are no Christian radio broadcasts heard in Bosnia. The C&MA considers reaching Bosnia with the Gospel a high priority. Types of outreach planned are church planting, teaching at Bible school, humanitarian aid and development in conjunction with other groups. |
