Dear in Christ, we present to you REC CROATIA & SERBIA NEWS 1/2024
Baptism in Tordinci
On the third Easter Sunday, April 17, 2024, Edita was baptized in Tordinci. We look forward to a new life and pray for Edita to become a follower of Christ.
Belgrade (Serbia)
Bishop Jasmin Milić goes to Belgrade, Serbia once a month. We are grateful to God for the church in the capital of Serbia.
NEEDS FOR BELGRADE
– To hold worship services twice a month we need $300 (for space and travel expenses) which is $3,600 per year
– We want to print an abbreviated version of the BCP in Serbian (morning and evening and Eucharistic service) in Serbian. For a smaller circulation (needs of our believers and visitors) we need $2,000
– Belgrade is strategically important to us as the capital of Serbia. It would be good if we had a missionary for Belgrade (and Serbia) for a longer or shorter time.
Canon Almir on puritan prayer
On 26th of April, Canon Theologian and Missioner Dr. Almir Pehlić, held a lecture on Puritanism and Puritan Prayer in 16th century, titled “The Puritan Prayer as a Model of Communal Prayer in Churches of the Reformation Heritage”. The International theological conference “Discipleship in Evangelical Churches” was organized by the Biblical Institute of Zagreb.
Guests from St. Andrews’s Academy (Chester, California, USA)
From May 4 to 12, our church was visited by a group of young people from St. Andrew’s Acadamy (Chester, California, USA), together with its priest and teacher, Rev. Brian Foos and his wife Kaitlin.
On Sunday, May 5, they participated in the Eucharistic service in Tordinci in the morning and in the afternoon in the Church of the Good Shepherd in Osijek in the evening prayer. The guests blessed us with several songs and Rev. Brian ministered the word of God.
On Tuesday, May 7, together with Rev. Damir Sitar, they visited the Roma church in Kapelna.
Consecration of the church in Zagreb
In Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, on Sunday, May 12, the church space of our sister Evangelical Methodist Church in Croatia (which is part of the Global Methodist Church) was consecrated. This space is also used by our church, and for this reason, the presiding pastor of the Methodist Church, Vatroslav Župančić, asked Bishop Jasmin Milić to preach and to consecrate the new church space.
Guests from St Andrews Academy sang at the service.
PUBLISHING
In Croatian, we have published a translation of the famous collection of Puritan prayers, The Valley of Vision.
We have published a translation of the Heidelberg Catechism in Serbian.
Our clergy and lay ministers
Rt. Rev. Jasmin Milić, PhD, received his master’s degree (MTh) and doctorate (PhD) at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek. He is the author of 13 books, and ministers as the rector of parishes in Osijek and Tordinci and a Church planter in Belgrade (Serbia). Likewise, he taught at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, where he also worked for a time as the Dean for External Studies, and at the Protestant Theological Faculty in Novi Sad (Serbia), where he worked as the Academic Dean. For over 20 years, he taught religious education in two state (public) schools, and for ten years hosted the radio show “Sources of Faith”, which was broadcast on over 20 radio stations throughout Croatia.
Rev. Canon Almir Pehlić, ThD, completed his BTh at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek and received his master’s degree (MDiv) and doctorate (ThD) at the “Michael Starin” Protestant Theological Seminary in Osijek. He is the rector of the churches in Karlovac and Zagreb and a church planter in Split. Also, he is the academic dean and a lecturer at the “Michael Starin” Protestant Theological Seminary. In 2022, he published his second book of poetry.
Rev. Damir Sitar, MDiv, completed his studies at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek (MTh) and at the “Michael Starin” Protestant Theological Seminary in Osijek (MDiv). Also holds B.A. in Pedagogy degree from University of Osijek. He is the priest of the Romani parish in Kapelna, and serves as the president of our humanitarian organization PASTIR (Protestant Samaritan Work). Likewise, he also works as an Educator at the Center for Youth Education.
Rev. Nenad Adžić, MDiv, completed the study of Economics and BTh at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek and MDiv at the “Michael Starin” Protestant Theological Seminary in Osijek. He is the Assistant pastor in Tordinci, and is employed at the tax service and serves the church part-time. Also, he is the editor of the very influential Christian website Novi Život (New Life).
Rev. Bob Hitching, ThD, completed his master’s degree (MDiv) and doctorate (ThD) at the “Michael Starin” Protestant Theological Seminary in Osijek. He comes from Great Britain and is a missionary priest of the Roma parish in Kapelna. For over 30 years, he has been actively engaged in missionary work with the Roma, and is the founder of the organization Roma Bible Union.
Deacon Sergej Beuk, ThD, completed the study of Pedagogy (BA) at the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo and Belgrade, and Cultural Studies (MA) at the Faculty of Culture and Media in Belgrade. He studied theology (MTh) at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek. Currently serves as a Church Planter in Belgrade. He is employed at the Belgrade Youth Center as a Program director, where he organised over 2.500 programs and projects in the fields of theology, philosophy and culture. He published scientific papers in the country and abroad, along with three professional monographs. Likewise, he is the president of the Anglican Theological Institute in Belgrade.
Lay Reader Saša Maligec, PhD, serves in the Church of the Good Shepherd in Osijek as a Lay Reader and as a Cantor. He completed the study of theology (BTh) at the “Michael Starin” Protestant Theological Seminary in Osijek and received a doctorate in economics (PhD) at the University of Osijek. He is employed at the Croatian Electric Industry.
Lay Reader Domagoj Rade, serves in the church in Karlovac. He completed the program of Computer Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology (B.Sc.), and is currently studying at the “Michael Starin” Protestant Theological Seminary.
Lay Reader Igor Peričić, BTh and MA in theology, completed his studies at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek. He serves as a Church Planter in Split, and also works as a Tourist guide.