Local churches South-west region
Struga
Evangelical Church – Struga began its active operation in 2016, two years after the immigration of Emil and Vesna Puzderliev from Shtip, in November 2014. During their theological education in Albania, they felt a call to move to this city. In June 2019, the church building, located in the central part of the city, was purchased and became the property of the Evangelical Church.
Emil Puzderliev
Emil Puzderliev is a graduate theologian with a degree from the International School of Theology and Leadership (ISTL) in Tirana, Albania. He was ordained as pastor of the Evangelical Church - Struga in November 2021. Together with his wife Vesna, he has lived in Struga for 8 years. As church leaders, both are actively involved in preaching, teaching, counseling, evangelism, and in every aspect of church life.
Evangelical Church - Struga is dedicated to the peace, well-being and prosperity of the city.
The lack of love, care, and acceptance is a basic need of all people, especially those who have been abandoned or marginalized. They need our presence, our embrace, the personal companionship, and the safety of the church family.
We want to be God's light to everyone we meet, so that people's hearts will be filled with hope that tomorrow will be brighter, safer, and happier than yesterday.
As a church, we want to create a safe place for people to experience God's unconditional love. We want a church that will be a home of hope, a place of fellowship and friendship, a development and equipping of all age groups that will bring hope to the hopeless; and a sense of purpose and a way out of the monotony of life.
We believe that God has many great things in store for our church, for this city, and for the entire region.
Struga is a city and a popular tourist destination located in the southwestern region of Macedonia, on the shores of Lake Ohrid. The Black Drim River, which rises near Sveti Naum, flows through the entire lake and flows into Struga, dividing the city into two parts.
The name of the city of Struga originates from the Old Slavic language, and there are three theories about its meaning, all of which are supported by local residents of the Struga region.
The ancient name of the city is Enchalon, an ancient word for eel. In ancient times, Struga was located on the Via Ignatia, which connected the Eastern and Western Roman Empires.
In Byzantine times, Struga was known as the "City of 100 Bridges".
The city of Struga is also called the "City of Poetry" or the "World Poetry City", known for its international poetry festival - the Struga Poetry Evenings, which is held every year in honor of Konstantin Miladinov, author of the famous poem "Longing for the South".
The Macedonian anthem "Today over Macedonia is born", written by the Struga poet
Vlado Maleski, and was sung for the first time in Struga.
Struga is home to multiple ethnic communities, including: Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Roma and others.
