AREA SECRETARY’S VISIT TO 22nd – 28th July 2004

1. Purpose: The main purpose of the visit was to express our solidarity and pastoral concerns with the Methodist Church following the death of President Trajkovski.

2. Introduction: Macedonia is a country with a long and proud history yet a country under continual pressure from neighbours and seriously affected by the social, political, economic and religious struggles of the region. Macedonians can only travel to Bulgaria and Serbia without visas and Macedonian passports are not recognised by Greece. It is known as the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia in deference to Greek regional sensitivities.1 Greece fears that if the FYR is allowed to use the name Macedonia, it will lay claim to the northern Greek territory also called Macedonia (sometimes Aegean Macedonia). The population is about 2m but 400,000 are unemployed. The largest employer is the Government and, in the absence of any form of meritocracy, senior positions in particular are open to corrupt practice by the incumbents as they know they will be out of a job if the Government changes. Politically, the region is unsettled. The recent problems in Kosovo are causing uncertainty. Also, the Government is making new laws, opposed by many, that will further divide the Albanian and Macedonian communities. This could easily lead to further community unrest.

3. Programme: The programme was organised by Christina & Mihail Cekov, and Carol Partridge (UMC missionary based in ). It enabled me to gain an excellent overview of Methodist life and work in the country. I began to appreciate the many difficulties facing the Church as well as experiencing the commitments and mission opportunities the Church is grappling with and responding to in imaginative ways.

♦ Thursday, 22nd & Friday, 23rd Arrival ; heard about the work amongst Kosova Roma refugees; travelled to Lake Ohrid to visit the annual Children’s Camp run by the Methodist Church in conjunction with some special needs schools.

♦ Saturday, 24th Travel to Strumica: met with the Superintendent, Wilhelm Nausner in Strumica. He outlined many of the issues facing the UMC in Macedonia.

♦ Sunday, 25th Preach at Strumica and at opening of new church in the Roma community in Kochani.

♦ Monday, 26th Visit to Miss Stone Centre & the Meals on Wheels service and tour of the Methodist Churches in the Strumica valley.

♦ Tuesday, 27th Meetings with the Orthodox Archbishop, Stefan; Mr Sašo Klekovski, Director of the Macedonian Centre for International Co-operation, an NGO; Wilma Trajkovska,

1 November 2004: The Government of the USA made a unilateral decision to rename the FYR of Macedonia, “Macedonia”. Whilst this greatly pleases the Macedonian Government, it has greatly angered the Greek government. Djulisen Muslia, Chairman – Kosova Roma Community (& his family); Zejnulla Fazliu, leader of the Islamic Community (& some members of his family);

4. Joys ♦ Children’s camp at Lake Ohrid. The camp for 70 children has been held since 1999. These were children all of whom had physical and / or mental learning difficulties or were unable to return home during the summer due to having no parents. The camp was staffed by a team of experienced children’s workers together with enthusiastic and talented group of young people. Many of these children will grow suffering from prejudice due to their disabilities and learning difficulties. Such children are put “out of sight” as they are seen as an embarrassment. Many people are superstitious and regard such families as “poor breeding stock”. ♦ Experiencing “Meals on Wheels” service at the Miss Stone Centre. 50 meals are delivered Monday to Friday to mainly vulnerable people living in extremely harsh conditions. The Director is Gordana Miteva, a National in Mission Appointment. If the funding and equipment could be provided the centre has the capacity to double the number of meals delivered. ♦ Visits to various village churches in the Strumica Valley – Murtino was built 1993 but the congregation has existed for over 100 years. The weekly congregation of around 100 comes from a village population of 3,500 in which over 500 lay claim to being members of the church. In addition about 60 children attend Sunday School. – Monospitovo (everything built by voluntary labour with the community buying the food for the workers. “From the poorest houses came the best food” I was told. Village population is 2,500 with a regular worshipping community of 50 – 60 plus Bible groups, women’s and youth groups) – Veljusa, Vodoča and Kolešino, ♦ Visit to monastery at St Naum on Lake Ohrid’s shores. St Naum is a key figure in the religious and historic culture that helps give Macedonians their identity. ♦ Preaching at the morning service in Strumica. ♦ Opening of new Church in Kochani. This was a very exciting occasion at which I was privileged to preach the first sermon. The building had been purchased in an act of faith by the Bishop Heinrich Bolleter, otherwise the congregation had nowhere to go having been thrown out of the previous hired hall and finding their furniture dumped on the street. The congregation filled the church with the worship being held in the decorated part of the building. The building cost €60,000. €10,000 has been raised to date. ♦ Many conversations particularly with Archbishop Stefan, Orthodox Archbishop of Macedonia and Zejnulla Fazliu, leader of the Islamic Community in Skopje. The Orthodox Church is in a very difficult situation. In 1967 it declared itself completely independent of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The legality of this was challenged by the Serbs, who refused to recognise this declaration of independence. Likewise the Church is not recognised by the Greek Orthodox Church (as Macedonia is not recognised hence it being known as the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) ♦ The significant Methodist contribution to the development of the multi-faith and ecumenical council for Macedonia. Whilst some relationships between Orthodox and Islamic communities are good relations with the Albanian Muslims are strained. They object to Orthodoxy being the symbol of the Macedonian nation, and to the placing of new large crosses in sensitive places like a very high hill overlooking Skopje. ♦ Lively worship and celebration. ♦ The commitment of the Methodist Church to the poor. ♦ The role of the Methodist Church, particularly Mihail Cekov, in establishing the ecumenical council in Macedonia and bringing together Orthodox and Muslim leaders. ♦ People’s stories – of their lives, of their churches, of their communities including the 75 year old man who came to Potsdam for the Festival and whose experience of a Wesley group made a profound impact upon him. ♦ Visit to Macedonian Centre for International Co-operation, an NGO founded in 1993. They run 1000 projects of various kinds and are one of the few organisations to offer a serious analysis of Macedonian political and economic life.

5. Struggles ♦ Lack of pastors (only 3 ordained elders. One, Zora Vuchkova in Radovish is retired but still serving the church. The other two are Mihail Cekov in Strumica and Aco Mitev in Bitola) and few people to teach the new generation. Some young people are reluctant to consider ordained ministry because there is still discrimination against Protestants. To many people, Methodists are regarded as a sect. ♦ Dependency on external funders for financial survival, the development of buildings and salaries for pastors and other church workers. ♦ Extremely vulnerable position of Kosova Roma people in Skopje. I was able to visit the community and was very warmly welcomed by Julisen Muslia and his family. I listened to their stories and was able to see something of their very poor living conditions. Yet for the UN, the Methodist Church is an unwelcome intruder. The UN is under extreme pressure not to let the community settle so permission to extend their stay is extended by only a few months at a time. There is now high alcoholism, a growing drug problem, and very little to do. The Church is one of the few organisations welcomed by the people and whose small scale but significant activities is beyond UN control. ♦ Lack of employment opportunities, particularly for young people even with university qualifications ♦ Living conditions of many elderly people as experienced on the Meals on Wheels service ♦ The many children and young people without parents ♦ Extreme poverty of some village communities in which there is no running water or electricity in the houses. ♦ Few exports as there is not an adequate distribution system. Also farmers need to improve quality and produce different varieties of produce. It is extremely difficult to export to the EU because of the imposition of high tariffs.

6. Some Surprises ♦ The many storks nesting in villages ♦ Rice growing in the fields ♦ The thousands of water melons for sale ♦ Fields of cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes ♦ The large number of donkeys or horses pulling old carts either as a main means of transport or for work in the fields.

5. Meetings I met some wonderful people including: - Marjan & Marinko Zafirov, lay leaders of the Kočani Church - Carol Partridge, UMC missionary and responsible for Christian Education - Mihail Cekov, pastor in Strumica and passionate for justice for the Roma people - Christina Cekov, member of European Methodist Council, National President of the United Methodist Women, Chair of the National Committee for the World Day of Prayer, President of the Board of the Miss Stone Centre. - Wilhelm Nausner, Superintendent of the UMC, Macedonia and who visits the country for several weeks in the year - The young people helping with the children’s camp at Lake Ohrid - Dr Zoran Mešov, director of the children’s camp - Gordana Miteva, leader of the Miss Stone Centre and an NMA - Mirče Tančev, NMA in Monospitovo - Tinka Krsteva, who understood my English (!!) and translated my sermons - Zejnulla Fazliu, leader of the Islamic Community in Skopje - Djulisen Muslia, chairman of the Kosova Roma Refugees in Skopje - Vilma Trajkovska, wife of Boris Trajkovski - Mitko Konev – tireless worker who delivered all the Meals of Wheels, drove me to many places and generally looked after my (and many others!) interests. A servant in the best use of the term. - Stefan, Orthodox Archbishop of Macedonia

6. Proposals A Special Grant of €25,000 for Kochani, 50%of the balance needed A Special Grant to purchase additional Meals on Wheels containers so the activity can be increased from 50 to 100 meals per day A Special Grant of £7,500 for work with the Kosova Roma refugees in Skopje

7. Critical Points A few matters concerned me. The centre of Methodist activity is in Strumica yet there is an important Methodist Church in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. There is no ordained pastor to give solid leadership. Currently, the church is led by lay pastors. The building some care and attention particularly the upper floors. I am not sure what ministry it has in the community and I may be missing some information here. However I gained the impression of a lack of activity apart from the Sunday worship and one or two small groups.

Secondly, Macedonians lay great stress on the importance of the family. If the family doesn’t care for you no-one else will. This, I was told, affects the Church and if pastors or deacons are not connected into significant church families their ministry can be less effective. The Church needs to be a different kind of family if it is to grow its witness and allow many people to develop their pastoral and leadership skills for the benefit of all.

8. Final Comments I thoroughly enjoyed this visit. It has helped develop the relationships between our two churches which is given high value by the Macedonian Methodists. Whilst the visit emerged out of the death of President Boris it gave me a valuable opportunity to experience first hand many of the joys and struggles of the UMC in Macedonia. We value this relationship and need to give continued support to a Church witnessing in a state under serious political and economic pressure and whose future is very uncertain.

Colin Ride 15th September 2004 Amended 1.11.04