European Baptists Called to Pray for Oppressive Religious Laws in Serbia

The Vice President of the European Baptist Federation (EBF), Pastor Toma Magda, has called for Baptists throughout Europe to spend a week in prayer for the “disenfranchised Christian minorities of Serbia”.

|TOP|Pastor Magda, from Croatia, explained how since the passing of the new laws on Church and religion in April 2006, the small evangelical groups in Serbia are on much weaker legal footing than officially-recognised religious organisations.

“In Serbia our Baptists brothers and sisters legally no longer exist,” said Magda.

A week of prayer has been called for, where Serbian Baptists along with other evangelicals in the country will join Christians in all European countries to pray for legal reform in Serbia.

In a written appeal, Magda said, “The law has been passed and it appears as if it could no longer be changed. But we believe in a God who is greater and has everything under control. He can do miracles.”

Serbia and Montenegro is home to approximately 3,000 Baptists, and 60 congregations. They are joined by 1,000 members of the Evangelical-Methodist Church who also feel they are unfairly discriminated against by the new legislation.

|AD|Previously, all other attempts to abridge the new legislation were of no avail, and this has resulted in Serbia now having two religious classes: the state-recognised “traditional churches and religious fellowships” and further undefined “confessional fellowships”.

The religious bodies officially recognised by the new legislation were the Serbian-Orthodox church, two Lutheran and a Reformed church as well as the Muslim and Jewish community.

All other churches were reduced to seeking legal status as ‘confessional fellowships’.

The status of confessional fellowship means that the tax-free status enjoyed by the “official” Churches are no applicable, and they are also prevented from holding religious instruction in government or private schools.

In addition, the running of charity organisations such as hospitals, homes for senior citizens or schools is for them illegal.

Baptist are branding the new legislation anachronistic and the result of “destructive, nationalistic policies”.

Already during the war in Yugoslavia over a decade ago Serbian Baptists had been the victims of social discrimination, being unjustly accused of cooperating closely with the USA, tells the EBF.