Vol.2, No 6, 1999 pp. 91 - 99
UDC:316.347
SMALL RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS
IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Slave Nikolovski-Katin
Republical Commission for Relations with the Religious Communities,
Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Abstract. Most of small religious communities and groups registered
in the Republic of Macedonia belong mostly to the protestant churches,
while a smaller number to the islamic and Hindu religion. Except for the
Evangelist-methodist church, which has existed for more than a hundred
years, other small religious communities and groups are of recent origin.
Small religious communities and groups are classified into two groups.
The first group consists of the protestant communities which have existed
before the disintegration of the former Yugoslav community, while the second
one comprises those which are registered in the Police Department after
the Republic of Macedonia became an indepentent state. Thus, the following
small religious communities and groups fall into the first group: the Evangelist-methodist
church, the Christian Adventist church, the Baptist church, the Christian
community of the Jehova Witnesses, the Church of Christ-the Brothers, and
the Penthacos Church. The others belong to the Evangelist church, the Congreshan
church, the Prachristian church, the New Apostol Church, the General Board
of the Christian Adventist Church, the Christian community-the Lighthouse,
the Vajsnovska religious community, the Islamic thericats and the Islamic
becktash communities, and Harry Chrishna and Satia Sai-Center.
Concerning the number of the believers, religious objects, priests
and religious clarks, these religious communities are expressively smaller
than the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Islamic community and the Roman
Catholic church. The small religious communities and groups in the Republic
of Macedonia have about 3.000 believers, together with the passive members
(children and old people). Concerning the activities of the small religious
communities and groups in the view of their active participation into the
religious works and rituals, it can be stated that they are more active
than the larger religious communities. That is especially expressed in
the publishing and informing activity, missionery, visiting of the believers
at their homes, care of the old people and children, development of the
humanitarian activities, travellings abroad and the permanent visits of
their hierarchy chiefs from their centres in Europe, America and Asia,
distribution of printed materials, giving religious lectures and other
church work.
MALITE VERSKI ZAEDNICI I RELIGIOZNITE
GRUPI VO REPUBLIKA MAKEDONIJA
Pogolemiot broj od malite verski zaednici i religiozni grupi registrirani
vo Republika Makedonija im pripagaat pretežno na protestantskite crkvi,
a mal broj na islamskata i na indu religijata. Osven Evangelsko-metodističkata
crkva, koja vo Makedonija dejstvuva poveke od 100 godini, postoenjeto na
drugite mali verski zaednici, odn. religiozni grupi e od ponovo vreme.
Malite verski zaednici i religioznite grupi se delat na dve grupi.
Vo prvata grupa spagaat protestantskite zaednici koi postojat od pred raspaganjeto
na poranešnata jugoslovenska zaednica, a vo vtorata grupa spagaat onie
religiozni grupi koi se formirani i prijaveni vo Ministerstvoto za vnatrešni
raboti po osamostojuvanjeto na Republika Makedonija. Taka, vo prvata grupa
spagaat slednite mali verski zaednici: Evangelsko-metodističkata crkva,
Hristijanskata adventistička crkva, Baptističkata crkva, Hristijanskata
zednica na Ehovinite svedoci, Hristovata crkva-Braka i Pentakosnata crkva.
Vo vtorata grupa, pak, spagaat: Evangelskata crkva, Kongršanskata crkva,
Prahristijanskata crkva, Novata apostolska crkva, Glaven odbor na Hristijanskata
adventistička crkva, Hristijanskata zaednica-Svetilnik, Vajšnavskata verska
zaednica, Islamskata tarikatna zaednica, Islamskata bektaška zaednica,
Hari Krišna i Satja Sai-Centar.
Po brojot na vernicite, verskite objekti, sveštenicite i verskite službenici
ovie verski zaednici se izrazito pomali od Makedonskata pravoslavna crkva,
Islamskata zaednica i Rimokatoličkata crkva. Malite verski zaednici vo
Republika Makedonija imaat okolu 3.000 vernici, zaedno so pasivnoto členstvo
(malite deca i starite luge). Dokolku pak, nivnoto dejstvuvanje se gleda
od aspekt na aktivnoto učestvo vo verskite raboti i obredi, togaš za niv
može da se istakne deka se mnogu poaktivni od pogolemite verski zaednici.
Toa e osobeno izrazeno vo izdavačkata i informativnata dejnost, misionerstvoto,
posetuvanjeto na vernicite vo nivnite domovi, golemata griža za starite
luge i decata, razvivanjeto na humanitarnata dejnost, čestite patuvanja
vo stranstvo i katadnevnoto primanje na nivni hierarhiski starešini od
nivnite centri vo Evropa, Amerika i Azija, steknuvanjeto so novi vernici,
rasturanjeto na pečateni raboti, održuvanjeto na verska pouka i drugi crkovni
raboti.
