Vol. 2, No. 1, Winter 1994, Covering the Former Soviet Union and East Central Europe
Non-Indigenous Protestant Missionaries in Former Communist States of Eurasia
Former Soviet Union
| State |
Missionaries |
Population |
Population per Missionary |
| Armenia |
10 |
3,290,000 |
329,000 |
| Azerbaijan |
N/A* |
7,130,000 |
|
| Belarus |
6 |
10,260,000 |
1,710,000 |
| Estonia |
45 |
1,600,000 |
35,556 |
| Georgia |
8 |
5,460,000 |
682,500 |
| Kazakhstan |
N/A |
16,690,000 |
|
| Kyrgyzstan |
N/A |
4,370,000 |
|
| Latvia |
29 |
2,610,000 |
90,000 |
| Lithuania |
4 |
3,720,000 |
930,000 |
| Moldova |
0 |
4,360,000 |
|
| Russia |
505 |
148,040,000 |
293,149 |
| Tajikistan |
N/A |
5,360,000 |
|
| Turkmenistan |
N/A |
3,620,000 |
|
| Ukraine |
48 |
51,940,000 |
1,082,083 |
| Uzbekistan |
N/A |
20,320,000 |
|
| Missionaries "working in Eurasia or in sensitive countries" |
458 |
|
|
| Subtotal |
1,113 |
288,770,000 |
259,452 |
East Central Europe
| State |
Missionaries |
Population |
Population per Missionary |
| Albania |
1,113 |
288,770,000 |
259,452 |
| Bulgaria |
77 |
8,470,000 |
110,000 |
| Czech Republic |
87 |
10,310,000 |
118,506 |
| Hungary |
213 |
10,340,000 |
48,545 |
| Poland |
77 |
38,000,000 |
493,506 |
| Romania |
165 |
23,210,000 |
140,667 |
| Slovakia |
10 |
5,300,000 |
530,000 |
| Former Yugoslavia** |
53 |
23,600,000 |
445,283 |
| Subtotal |
864 |
122,530,000 |
141,817 |
| Total |
1,977 |
411,300,000 |
208,042 |
*Information not available
**53 missionaries reported in Serbia-Montenegro, 2 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and 2 in Croatia
Editors' Observations
- Despite a dramatic increase in evangelical activity in the former
Soviet Union and voluminous positive and negative publicity, more
non-indigenous Protestant missionaries per capita actually work in East
Central Europe.
-
Among former Soviet republics, for which missionary data are available,
Moldova is said to have no Protestant missionary presence, Belarus has
the next lowest Protestant missionary-to-population ratio (1 per
1,710,000) and Estonia has the highest Protestant
missionary-to-population ratio (1 per 35,556).
-
In East Central Europe, Slovakia has the fewest Protestant missionaries
per capita (1 per 530,000) and Albania has the highest (1 per 18,132).
-
Sixty-five percent of non-indigenous Protestant missionaries in East
Central Europe work in Hungary, Albania, and Romania, while in the
former Soviet Union 45 percent work in the Russian Republic.
Compiled by Bob Schindler, Yvonne Bedford-Adamski, and Mark Elliott.
Sources: Patrick Johnstone, Operation World (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993); Brian Hunter, ed., Statesman's Yearbook (New York: St. Martin's, 1993).
Bob Schindler, Yvonne Bedford-Adamski, and Mark Elliott, compilers, "Non-Indigenous Protestant Missionaries in Former Communist
States of Eurasia," East-West Church & Ministry Report, 2 (Winter 1994), 5.
Written permission is required for reprinting or electronic distribution of any portion of the East-West Church & Ministry Report.
© 1994 Institute for East-West Christian Studies
ISSN 1069-5664
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