Birmingham street preacher Tommy Littleton, who attends Southcrest Baptist Church, Bessemer, is encouraged by a small group of believers in Zagreb, Croatia who are working to share the gospel in a city that is overwhelmingly non-Christian. Littleton traveled to Zagreb in March after corresponding with Mario Ducic, pastor of the Zagreb Evangelical Fellowship. The week of ministry cemented a partnership between the two men who share a burden for Croatia, where fewer than one tenth of one percent of the population professes to be born again.
Croatia is a nation of about five million people, with more than a million living in the capital city of Zagreb. Since the collapse of Communist Yugoslavia, the region has been ravaged by war and economic and depression. Although there is a tenuous peace in the Balkans today, rebuilding is slow.
Unemployment is high, one of every four Croats is jobless. Religious experimentation abounds with interests ranging from New Age to the occult. Ducic and his flock know they are up against great odds. Any number of daily needs may go unfilled at any time, and yet the small fellowship is thriving.
“The church is founded on prayer and evangelism,” Littleton said. The Zagreb church is reaching out in a number of ways but primarily through weekly street meetings. A recent open air campaign with the ‘Jesus’ film brought more than 300 inquiries about salvation. New converts are disciple in small groups that meet in the homes of church members. Ducic carefully nurtures new believers, who eagerly return to the streets to testify of God’s grace. The growth is remarkable, especially in light of the fact that Croatia is only one generation removed from a particularly oppressive communist regime.
“Currently, the door is effectually opened for the gospel and the harvest fields are ripe,” said Littleton.
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