Small Religious Communities and Groups in the Republic of Macedonia Cover Image

Small Religious Communities and Groups in the Republic of Macedonia
Small Religious Communities and Groups in the Republic of Macedonia

Author(s): Slave Nikolovski-Katin
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Универзитет у Нишу

Summary/Abstract: Most of small religious communities and groups registered in the Republic of Macedonia belong mostly to the protestant churches, while a smaller number to the islamic and Hindu religion. Except for the Evangelist-methodist church, which has existed for more than a hundred years, other small religious communities and groups are of recent origin. Small religious communities and groups are classified into two groups. The first group consists of the protestant communities which have existed before the disintegration of the former Yugoslav community, while the second one comprises those which are registered in the Police Department after the Republic of Macedonia became an indepentent state. Thus, the following small religious communities and groups fall into the first group: the Evangelist-methodist church, the Christian Adventist church, the Baptist church, the Christian community of the Jehova Witnesses, the Church of Christ-the Brothers, and the Penthacos Church. The others belong to the Evangelist church, the Congreshan church, the Prachristian church, the New Apostol Church, the General Board of the Christian Adventist Church, the Christian community-the Lighthouse, the Vajsnovska religious community, the Islamic thericats and the Islamic becktash communities, and Harry Chrishna and Satia Sai-Center. Concerning the number of the believers, religious objects, priests and religious clarks, these religious communities are expressively smaller than the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Islamic community and the Roman Catholic church. The small religious communities and groups in the Republic of Macedonia have about 3.000 believers, together with the passive members (children and old people). Concerning the activities of the small religious communities and groups in the view of their active participation into the religious works and rituals, it can be stated that they are more active than the larger religious communities. That is especially expressed in the publishing and informing activity, missionery, visiting of the believers at their homes, care of the old people and children, development of the humanitarian activities, travellings abroad and the permanent visits of their hierarchy chiefs from their centres in Europe, America and Asia, distribution of printed materials, giving religious lectures and other church work.

  • Issue Year: 1999
  • Issue No: 06 special
  • Page Range: 91-99
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: English