Brief History
Montenegro borders Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is a beautiful country with a large mass of mountains and a very small, but beautiful coastline. In spite of the country's striking beauty, Montenegro's history is clouded by the Ottoman Empire, Communist regimes, and militaristic authoritarian rule. From 1945 to 1992 Montenegro was a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, they joined Serbia to form a new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). In 2006, they held a referendum and declared themselves an independent nation on June 3, making them one of the newest nations in the world.
Spiritual Demographics
There are around 625,000 residents of Montenegro. 77% of them identify as Eastern Orthodox, 19% are Muslim, and there are probably less than 300 evangelical believers in the whole country. ‘Operation World’ identifies the Evangelical population per capita as the 8th smallest in the world (0.04%). There are only 4 registered churches and a couple of small church plants.
Ministry Outlook
The country is virtually void of ministries and churches reaching out to the thousands of young people that fill the streets of each city. There is a tremendous need for workers who can meet these young people where they are and help them discover an authentic relationship with Christ. Pray for our fledgling team in Montenegro as they partner with churches to engage with the next generation of leaders for this bold and beautiful country.
