Austria
Summary
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria’s status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria’s independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country’s “perpetual neutrality” as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991 and Austria’s entry into the EU in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. [1]
📷 : Wikipedia
Statistics
From the The Joshua Project [2]
In the News
📷 : Flickr
Prayer Guide
Austria needs more full-time workers. It is possible that more Austrians are serving God outside Austria than inside it. Major foreign agencies: OM, International Teams, WV, DMG, CEF, Missionhaus Bibelschule. The majority of evangelical churches were planted through the ministry of these Kingdom workers and are often still dependent on their leadership. A traditionally slow and difficult field, Austria is showing signs of accelerating response to the gospel. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more workers, both Austrians and foreign missionaries, to this needy field.
Foreign migrants and refugees have flooded into Austria since WWII – fleeing Communism up until 1990, then the Balkan strife, and now increasingly hailing from Asia. Pray that Austrian believers may demonstrate compassion to these strangers in their midst as the Bible commands. The gospel is being shared through Bible Society material and ministries such as Oasis Christian Centre. Pray for fruitfulness.
- The six ethnic groups of the former Yugoslavia. There are several evangelical congregations, but these peoples are some of the least reached of Europe.
- Muslim Turks, Afghans, Kurds, Pakistanis. Unabated immigration, high birthrates and poor integration stoke the fires of xenophobia from the far right.
Source: [3]