Greece

Greece achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1829. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories with Greek-speaking populations. Following the defeat of communist rebels in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. A military dictatorship, which in 1967 had suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country, was itself overthrown seven years later. Democratic elections in 1974 abolished the monarchy and created a parliamentary republic; Greece joined the EU in 1981.

YWAM in GREECE:
Greece was on the School of Evangelism field trip trail which brought hundreds of YWAM'ers there in the '60s and 70s. The Anastasis also was Athens while being refitted in the early '80's. YWAM's permanent presence began in Greece when Jim & Judy Orred moved there in 1986. They came to develop outreaches primarily to the Muslim minorities in the Balkans and Turkey. Eventually other staff followed and a DTS was held in 1992.

Greece is definitely one of the more difficult countries in Europe, spiritually speaking. Very few of the short term YWAM'ers have stayed beyond outreach, and few missionaries have ever learned the language.

Greece is an Orthodox nation with deeply engrained traditions and values, where religion and nationality are intertwined. The Orthodox church is often militant in relation to other Christian traditions. A globally publicised court case involving two YWAMers and a Greek pastor charged with proselytism in 1986 resulted from a young Greek having been given a New Testament. Although sentenced for three and a half years in prison, the defendents were eventually discharged, although the charges were not dropped.

The small evangelical community in the country (18,000 members among 10 million people), tends to be rather traditional and isolated spiritually and culturally.

prayer needs:
- for revival, reconciliation, unity, to lead to new evangelism and church planting.
- for God to call more workers to this field.