SERBIA

In the early 1960s, Leskovac Evangelical Church was planted in what was then Communist Yugoslavia. Under Communist rule, members of the Church were often persecuted, harassed, and sent to prison because of their faith. But Leskovac Evangelical Church persevered and flourished under the leadership of Mio and Else Stankovic. In the late 1970s, the Church began reaching out to the Roma people, the “outcasts” of the community. As Communism fell in the 1990s, many changes occurred but the Gospel advanced in wonderful ways as church persevered.

The outreach and discipleship efforts with the Roma people resulted in several Roma pastors being raised up by Mio (who passed away in 2009), a second Leskovac church and the Lebane church are now led by Roma pastors and 3 others were sent out in church planting efforts to Jagodina, Nis and Vranje. These churches are now reaching out into villages around their home and are at various stages of planting churches in 13 villages. The Kingdom of God is being expanded in remarkable ways in Central and Southern Serbia and we get to come alongside their efforts.