Slightly larger than the state of Vermont, the landlocked, mountainous country of North Macedonia is located above Greece. Other countries bordering the nation include Albania, Serbia, Kosovo, and Bulgaria.
North Macedonia gained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 under the name “Macedonia.” Later, in 2018, the nation changed its name to North Macedonia as part of an agreement with Greece.
Descendents of the Slavic people, Macedonians largely identify as adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church and view their religious traditions as inseparable from their culture and ethnic heritage.
Albanians comprise around a quarter of the population and are mostly Muslim or atheist. Tensions remain high between Albanians and Macedonians, stemming from an armed conflict in 2001. Substantial numbers of Turks, Romani, and Serbs also live in Macedonia. Approximately one-third of the population practices Islam.
With a miniscule number of evangelical Christians, the country desperately needs Christian leaders and resources to share the hope of Jesus Christ.
Christian Aid Mission assists two small ministries local to North Macedonia that have each planted a church in the country. One uses a multi-pronged strategy to reach people, which includes evangelistic programs and events, discipling people through structured teaching, and training people for evangelism and outreach.
In the area where they work, many families are struggling because of the rising cost of essentials. When members of their church distributed food parcels and firewood during the cold months, many of the recipients began attending the church.
The other ministry is focusing on reaching Muslim Turks with the gospel. In their city are gold, copper, and silver mines; addictions involving drugs and gambling are rampant among the miners. Ministry workers are reaching this demographic along with their current outreaches, which include creative workshops for children, helping female victims of domestic violence, and serving children with special needs.
Sources: Joshua Project, CIA World Factbook, Encyclopedia Britannica
