Local churches South-east region
Strumica
The pastor of the Evangelical Church - Strumica is Toni Barbutov, who leads the church together with his wife Desa, both of whom are theologians who completed their studies at the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Osijek, Croatia. Toni and Desa have been married since 1984. They have two sons and one daughter. In addition to the church in Strumica, Toni is also the pastor of the church in Monospitovo, and has also been serving among the disabled since 1996.
Strumica is the city where Protestantism began in Macedonia. It all began in the 19th century through the colporteurs of the British and Foreign Bible Society and the mission of the American Board of Missionaries abroad, of the Evangelical Church, through which a church and a group of believers were created in Strumica. Until the last decade of the century, the Strumica region remained the area with the highest concentration of Protestant churches. In recent history, the Evangelical Church in Strumica began its official activity in 1998. Before that, there was only a small group of believers and a Bible club.
Strumica as a municipality has about 50,000 inhabitants and is rich in historical, memorial and religious monuments and buildings. However, the most characteristic landmark is the "Emperor's Towers" which are a testimony to the turbulent times in the Middle Ages. The Emperor's Towers represent the thick ramparts and fortresses above the city. This fortress is located on the southern side of the city, on the flat plateau at the top of the hill, which rises very steeply above the city. This plateau is located at an altitude of 445 meters and from there it is possible to see and control the entire Strumica valley. The plateau could have been easier to defend even if it were not fortified because it is surrounded by a steep slope on all sides. This location of the fortress allows it to simultaneously control the three entrances to the city.
The suburb of the city stretched at the northern foot of the hill, on the high terrace on which today lies the oldest part of Strumica. This was also enclosed by walls, and beyond this area spread the necropolis. In this part, graves from the Hellenistic period (3rd century BC) and the Roman period (3rd century AD) have been excavated.
The fortress had a specific rectangular base measuring 21.60 × 8 meters. The entire area of the fortress contains the foundations of residential houses and larger buildings of a different nature. The area of the fortress is 3,654 m2.
