the Serbian province of Vojvodina, Adventist church sources said Friday, January 12.
The president has also requested that police speed up the investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice, said the Adventist Press Service (APD).
Unidentified assailants reportedly broke into the Adventist church early Monday, January 8, in the suburb of Stapar of Sombor municipality setting fire to the building and destroying the pulpit and several church benches.
The attack came shortly after Pastor Miodrag Zivanovic, president of the Adventist church in South-East Europe, published an open letter urging religious tolerance in Serbia, APD reported.
The letter was sent to the government, including the Ministry of Religion and Internal Affairs and media.
ORTHODOX APPEAL
Pastor Zivanovic’s letter followed a sermon of Serbian Orthodox Archbishop Pavle, who in his Christmas sermon reportedly called for peace and tolerance.
Adventist representatives say this was not the first time an Adventist church in Serbia has been targeted by vandals. In April 2003 an Adventist pastor was allegedly severely beaten and 11 churches were vandalized.
Church officials reportedly described those attacks as an "orchestrated campaign against a religious minority" in a predominantly Orthodox country. "Serbian society has had to face many acts of religious intolerance for the last 10 years … mixed with religious nationalism," said Dr. John Graz, director of the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department of the Adventist world headquarters in published comments. "The strong reaction of the authorities in this case against such an act is encouraging."
About 70 percent Vojvodina’s population are Eastern Orthodox Christians, 20% Roman Catholics and Catholics of Eastern Rites. 3,6% are Protestants, including 3,600 Adventist Christians, organized in 88 local congregations, according to Adventist estimates. The Adventist village church of Stapar has 20 adult baptized members, APD said.
