North Macedonia

This small landlocked country in the Balkan Peninsula has an ancient Christian heritage. The Republic of North Macedonia is still emerging from its communist past, with a legacy of political and economic weakness. The majority Macedonian population are religiously Orthodox Christians, with a large ethnic minority of Muslim Albanians. There are about 2,000 Evangelical Christians.

“Come over to Macedonia and help us!” (Acts16:9)

Ministry opportunities in North Macedonia

This small landlocked country in the Balkan Peninsula has an ancient Christian heritage. The Republic of North Macedonia  is still emerging from its communist past, with a legacy of political and economic weakness.  The majority Macedonian population are religiously Orthodox Christians, with a large ethnic minority of Muslim Albanians. There are about 2,000 evangelical believers. OM began full ministry in 2013, with a broad focus:

  • Supporting small congregations: many lack resources, so OM assists leaders with preaching, and discipleship training. 
  • Humanitarian outreach:  Since the current crisis began, OM’s workers have responded in very practical ways to refugees at the country’s borders.
  • Web-based evangelism:  social media is a great way to engage the younger generation, especially in dialogue with students.
  • Serving women, youth and families: from family-friendly Christian cafes and womens’ evenings to clubs for kids and youth, we want to reach all generations with the Good News.

How you can get involved:

  • PRAY –
  • For North Macedonian churches; for a fresh new vision of how to reach their communities with the gospel, and empower believers to stand firm and bold as evangelical Christians, and to share their faith with their communities.
  • For the populace in general, to have a different attitude and more openness towards the evangelical message, so that the light of the gospel can shine into their often very hopeless lives.
  • For the general situation in North Macedonia, that political turmoil finally finishes and the country gets some political peace, in order to move forward out of  economic stagnation, and that the church finds a way to actively support positive changes in their country.

More information about North Macedonia

  • Population:  2.1 million
  • Official language:  Macedonian ( also Albanian in some areas)
  • State of economy:  North Macedonia is less developed and has a smaller economy than most of the other former Yugoslav states. It is still in transition to a market economy but corruption and a weak legal system  hinder successful development.
  • Religious make-up:  Orthodoxy  64.7%; Islam 33.3%; evangelical Christians 0.1%; other Christians 0.2%
  • State of the church: Churches are small (about 30-40 members), and considered by the majority of the population as a sect. There are no Christian television programmes, newspapers, colleges and there is only one theological school that just opened in 2016. The number of Christian books is small (maybe about 100 titles written or translated into Macedonian).