“The Walls Came Tumbling Down”
A Visit with Missionaries Kornel & Tanja Crnković in Croatia
It was a cold and dreary morning in Croatia when I found myself working alongside a group of Christian brothers who I will not soon forget. In fact, I don’t know of a better way to get to know someone than to labor alongside them in difficult circumstances. There was a light drizzle and a stiff breeze all day long. The temperature didn’t rise above 50 degrees and with the wind and moisture, it felt much cooler. We had spent most of the morning shoring up the ceiling by building a support system with about forty poles and braces. Our task for the morning was to knock down a wall in the twenty-five-year-old, newly purchased church building in order to provide for a wider auditorium. This would necessitate providing support for the second floor, then knocking down the wall, and finally adding a massive support beam. After working on a section, removing one brick at a time, we had a large section of the wall down and a small section standing. One of the men had cleared the top section and called two others over to help. The three leaned against the bricks and with one unified push we began to sing, “… and the walls came tumbling down.”
As the red dust from the bricks filled the air, I could not help but think back to just thirty years earlier. It was November 9, 1989, when one of the most powerful symbols of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, came tumbling down. Rev. Bill Bathman, former Chairman of Frontline Fellowship, described 1989 as a momentous year. “Across the world, from Trafalgar to Tiananmen Square, voices long repressed began to be heard. Unrest became pandemic. Nation after nation began to shake off the shackles that had bound them and assert their human rights and religious freedom.” In talking with my Croatian brothers about the opportunities for gospel advance, they said that the most significant moment for their country was when the Berlin Wall fell. At the time, Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia, consisting of six republics, five nations, four languages, three religions, two alphabets, and one political party, the Communist party. Josip Broz Tito was described as the glue that held it all together. Within a year of the Berlin Wall coming down, Yugoslavia began to crumble and throughout the next decade, several small countries sprang into existence – Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Montenegro. This area is known as the Balkan region of Europe.
Croatia is a land of breathtaking beauty. The small country, roughly the same size as West Virginia, stretches from the Mediterranean coast to the eastern Alps. It has seen its fair share of fighting. In the last century, Croatia experienced five major wars. For hundreds of years until the 1990s, it has been the setting of battle and war. Remember, World War I started in Yugoslavia. During the most recent war in Croatia, Kornel’s village was surrounded by Serbs, and Kornel became a part of the Croatian army defending his city. He was wounded by a mine during the siege and discharged from the army. The day before our workday, he had told me that we were going to have rain because he could feel it in the shrapnel in his foot.
My journey began on Wednesday, November 13, with a long flight through the night to Amsterdam, Netherlands and then to Zagreb, Croatia, arriving around 3:30 p.m. After breezing through customs, I was greeted by Kornel and his two sons, Marco (15) and Natanael (11), also known as Nani, like the Portuguese soccer player. After a quick stop at McDonald’s, a special request by the boys, we made our way from the capital city to their town of Koprivnica (pronounced: kɔ̝̌priːv̞nit͡sa). Around 4:00 p.m. each day the sky started getting dark. I had slept very little on the flight and I was working against a six-hour time change, so it was difficult for me to stay awake on our one-and-a-half-hour drive through the rush hour traffic. Tanja greeted us at the door when we arrived and offered us soup for supper, but of course, after the Big Tasty, none of us were hungry. I opened my suitcase to reveal seventy-two Reese’s Cups and a huge bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips which I brought at the request of the Crnković children.
As I unpacked, Tanja had to take one of the kids to music class. Goran, a new believer who was saved at the summer camp, came over to meet with Kornel for discipleship. He is excited about his new life in Christ and wants to get baptized as soon as possible. I did my best to stay awake until about 9:00 p.m. when I finally succumbed to Mr. Sandman.
Friday, while the kids were in school, Kornel and Tanja and I had to go to town to register my visit with the local police. They then showed me around their town of Koprivnica, population 31,000. Like much of Europe, it is a place filled with history. The earliest documents first mention Koprivnica in 1272. It is positioned on what was the border of the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires. In different stages of its history, it has been known as a military town and a merchant town. The 20th Century saw the town grow significantly with the founding of the Podravka food company, one of the leading Croatian companies doing business worldwide. They are known for their Vegeta spice which Tanja made sure I had to take home to my wife Joanna. We enjoyed a nice walk through the City Square and through the park. We then stopped at a street market where Kornel ordered fried calamari which we took home for lunch.
For lunch, I was also introduced to some of their smoked meats. While Tanja reheated the soup from the night before Kornel began to carve the meat. Each year they have a “killing of the pig” where they butcher pigs and then divide the meat. Unfortunately, they had scheduled this for the Saturday after I returned. They described to me the techniques of curing smoked pork loin, bacon, ribs, and sausage. The meat is cured in a mix of salt and other spices before being hung and cold smoked with hardwoods. After being smoked the meat continues to dry for 4-8 weeks. The meat we enjoyed that day had been smoked by Kiki, a man in their church who came to know Christ through Kornel’s ministry. My introduction to Croatian food included homemade pickles, beets, and eggplant chutney, and fresh peppers, in addition to the smoked meats and the fried calamari.
Later that afternoon Marco, Kornel, and I dropped Nani off at music class and we drove to their baptism site. It was about a fifteen-minute drive outside of town. While we parked the car next to the pavilion beside the river, my cell phone signaled, “Welcome to Hungary.” The river separates Croatia from Hungary. The current was moving rapidly, and the temperature was still cool. I asked Kornel about Goran. He said, even though it will be very cold, he really wants to be baptized soon. It was an exciting time for me as Kornel told me about the many new Christians who have been saved. He told me about Valentina, a lady whose family prayed for her for sixteen years who has now come to know Christ. In previous newsletters, we had mentioned prayer for Luka, a believer who died three years ago of colon cancer. Since his death, many of his family members have been saved. Most recently, Luka’s wife’s brother Ivan, a 21-year-old student came to know Christ. Kornel’s church is an exception to many of the Christian churches in Croatia as it is full of life and full of new Christians. I would get to experience some of that excitement later that evening.
We had a Friday night service where one of the new church-planting missionaries Kurt Bekins spoke. Following the service, the teens hung around for a time of fellowship. We sang several songs and then I shared my testimony of how I was saved and how I was called to ministry. I talked about my twenty-five years in pastoral ministry and then shared how God led me to be a mission director. I talked about our EMU missionaries. Everyone was listening intently. They wanted me to suggest the final song to be sung. I told them about my trip to India and the story behind the song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” I challenged the young people to commit to putting Christ first in their lives. They then sang with much passion. Even though I could not understand their language, I was moved with the pathos in their voices as several of them prayed. We arrived home that evening after midnight.
Saturday was the workday on the new church building. We left at 8:00 a.m. and returned around 5:00 p.m. The new building is a blessing to their church. Under the leadership of Kornel and his brother-in-law Nathanael Špičak, the church has outgrown their current building. Their new building is a 25-year-old brick building but needs a lot of work. Kornel asked me what my first impression was when I saw it. I asked him if it had been a part of the war. They had knocked down several walls already and there were openings where they need to add windows and doors. Fortunately, their current landlord has given them permission to stay in their current church building until the new church is completed. They have an ambitious goal of hosting a wedding in the new church around Easter time. In the days ahead, they are hoping to finish installing a new roof. They are also adding the new support beam. The men and women of the church are coming together. Like Nehemiah, I told them it appeared to me that God’s good hand is upon them. And, like the families in Israel, the church people have a mind to work.
Later that evening the Crnković daughters came home for the weekend to celebrate Andrea’s twenty-first birthday. I would like to think that they also wanted to meet me. Probably, they heard about the Reese’s. Andrea is a sophomore in college about three hours away. She is studying music pedagogy. Kristinia is a freshman at a college two hours away. She is studying to be a kindergarten teacher. Tanja made chili for a houseful of people who came to celebrate Andrea’s birthday and to watch the Croatian national team play soccer.
Sunday was a great day as the church was packed. I preached on the Compassion of Jesus in Matthew 9. As I commented on the plentiful harvest, I talked about growing tomatoes and how a good harvest takes work. I also commented on how much I love tomatoes. Immediately following the service one of the men who had helped lead the work team the day before went to the market to buy tomatoes to have with our lunch. His name is Mladin. God is working in his heart, but he still hasn’t come to know Christ as his Savior. Following the meal, we sat together and talked. Would you please pray with me for Mladin?
Monday, Kornel and I worked around the house while Tanja went to school to teach. We enjoyed another Croatian delicacy called Burek for lunch. It is filo pastry filled with either cheese, meat, potato, spinach, apple… almost anything. We then drove to an overlook of the town to take some photos and then stopped at the mall that is across from their house. Later that evening we met with four other missionary leaders to talk about ministry and pray for Croatia. This was a highlight of my time in Croatia. I prayed, “Lord, thirty years ago we saw something unthinkable happen when the Berlin Wall came down. Please, knock down walls and do a work that only You can get credit for here in Croatia.”
I asked Kornel if the Reformation had any influence on Croatia, he responded, “very little.” There are three major religions that break along ethnic lines: Bosnians who are Muslims, Serbs who are Eastern Orthodox, and Croatians who are Roman Catholic. I asked him how committed most were to their religion, he said that most are nominal at best. It has been said that “there is too much religion and not enough gospel.” I took advantage of every preaching opportunity to hammer out the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not just a religious commitment to a list of what we do and what we don’t do. The most optimistic estimates tell us that less than 0.5% of the population are born again Christians (10,000 among a population of 4.5 million). But the harvest is still plentiful, and much gospel seed is being sown. Who would have imagined the Berlin Wall coming down?
In my remaining time in Croatia, I traveled with Kornel a couple of hours away to the town of Krapina where I shared the ministry of EMU International with the students and faculty of the Theological Bible Academy, the school where Kornel received his degree. Tanja’s father Miško Horvatek serves in Administration and teaches. I had the privilege of discussing missions with Kris Brackett, Assistant Dean, over coffee. We then joined Tanja’s parents, Miško and Mira for breakfast at their lovely home overlooking the city.
Croatia is a land of history and Kornel wanted me to see a castle, so we drove about forty-five minutes on the beautiful winding roads across the rolling hills to Velik Tabor Castle. It dates back to the fifteenth century and sits high on a hill with spectacular views all around. We then drove to the capital city of Zagreb, a city that has served as the cultural and political focus of the nation since the Middle Ages. The city is a picture of European authenticity. We walked the bustling streets of the Upper Town, passing by shops, museums, churches, and cafes. We made our way to St. Mark’s Church, a beautiful edifice with a multicolored tiled roof displaying the coats of arms of Zagreb and Croatia. To the east of the church is the Croatian Parliament Building. To the west, is the government building. As we approached the Square, we saw a few black limousines. We watched as someone rolled out a red carpet and down it walked the Croatian Prime Minister and the head of the European Party. I snapped a quick photo.
On Wednesday evening, Kiki, who I mentioned earlier wanted us to visit his house. He wanted to show me his farm. He also wanted to share with me the last of his smoked meats and show me how they are made. His wife Renata came to Christ first in the family and in time Kiki later was saved. Her father worked with us at the church and is unsaved. Please pray with us for Martin’s salvation.
My final night in Croatia, we drove about an hour away to Virovitica where we met with a small group of people, four men, and four women, who are revitalizing a small Baptist church. I had the privilege of sharing EMU’s ministry with this group and then we prayed together. Just about a year ago it didn’t look like the church was going to survive, but God is breathing new life into this church and they are close to calling their new pastor, Mario who is scheduled to be ordained on December 15.
As I left Croatia, I left a big part of my heart with the people. My heart is also burdened for Kornel’s parents. His mother is a believer and has a few health problems. His father is unsaved. Please pray that God will break down the wall of unbelief. The church in Croatia definitely needs our prayers and would certainly benefit from the financial investment of God’s people. Many parts of the country are still suffering from the devastating effects of war. Most evangelical congregations are small and supporting their own pastors and paying for their own buildings seems an impossibility. Please pray for Kornel as he leads the church through preaching and teaching. Pray for the discipleship of the many new believers. Pray for the strengthening of family relationships. Pray for the unsaved spouses of some of their church members. Pray for the work to be completed on their new building. Pray that God will continue to break down walls of opposition and the gospel would advance through the ministry of my precious new friends.
Kornel is planning on visiting the USA in March in order to connect with new churches and look for much-needed additional support. If you are interested in hosting him or would like more information, please contact us in our office at (864) 268-9267 or office@emuinternational.org. You can also make a donation at https://emuinternational.org/give-now/kornel-tanja/.