BWA joins Serbian Baptists in appeal for religious freedom

Denton Lotz, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), joined with Serbian Baptist leaders Jan. 21 to appeal for religious freedom and equal treatment before the law for all religions. Lotz attended separate meetings with the minister of religion, Vojislav Milovanovic, and deputy prime minister Zharko Korac. There are more than 2,600 Baptists in 68 churches in Serbia.

There are two organizations in Serbia that belong to the BWA, the Union of Baptist Churches in Serbia and the Baptist Union of Evangelical Christian Churches in Serbia.

During the visit to Milovanovic, Lotz said he explained to him who Baptists are. “it always seems necessary to me,” Lotz said, “that I give a brief history who the Baptists are in these predominantly Orthodox countries. They do not know that we are part of the Reformation and they do not know of our great suffering for religious freedom and the separation of church and state.”

Lotz referred to letters he had written to Milavanovic and Korac, in which he told them that even under the old monarchy, before Yugoslavia became independent, Baptists were mentioned and were guaranteed religious freedom.

Lotz said Milovanovic believes in religious freedom, and he insisted that while they concentrated on the majority churches last year, this year they will focus on the minority churches.

(BWA)