CCE - Pastoral team

Mario Dučić was born in Zagreb in 1973 to a Catholic family. During the war, in 1991, he began his theological studies at Theological Seminary Matija Vlačić Ilirik in Osijek, Croatia. During his second year a Christian befriended him and began witnessing to him. At this same time his grandmother became ill and so he asked his friend to pray for her. God answered this prayer and she was healed of her severe pain. The answered prayer softened his heart and that same night as he read the book of John he said to himself, “This is the truth. I find myself in every word. This is what I need." And afterward he experienced great change.

After finishing his second year Mario decided to continue a third year of study at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek. While studying in Osijek he actively volunteered to work with a refugee camp in Gasinci through the humanitarian aid society “Agape". After his third year he received a scholarship to study abroad. These doors opened to him so miraculously that temporarily left his studies at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek and completed a two-year course in Practical Theology in one year at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, TX. After completing his studies in America he returned to Osijek in 1996 to complete his theological studies, in the field of Christian counseling, on the theme of “Sexual Abuse of Children". In 2007 he finished his post-graduate studies under the title, “Effective Christian Leadership – Understanding and Implementing Visionary and Foundational Characteristics of Leadership" and is continuing his doctoral studies in Practical Theology with emphasis on leadership through Wagner Leadership Institute, Phoenix, AZ.

Mario became pastor and president of Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja in the fall of 2001. In addition to his vision to work and serve both in Zagreb and the entire country of Croatia, as the pastor, Mario has formed many ministries in the church, initiated civil organizations, and various practical church ministries with the goal of effective ministry and positive influence on society. He has also taken part in national events with other protestant churches and for some years has led the annual “Croatia for Jesus" festival as well as “Days of Reformation". Since 2003 he has actively written various articles as well as made public monthly sermons he has given at Crkva Cjelovitog Evanđelja. In 2008 he initiated the formation of Croatian Christian Coalition, of which he is the president. The purpose of the coalition is to stimulate and realize solidarity, transparency, quality subsidies and collaboration along with realization of community influence among the members in the political realm through active promotion of Christian principles in churches of the reformation heritage in the Republic of Croatia. He is the Vice-President of Spirit Life Ministries International, a non-profit Christian organization based in Hermiston, OR. In addition to their active work in Croatia, SLMI also oversees Spirit Life Institute located in our church in Zagreb; of which Mario is the Vice-President and lecturer. Mario is a member of the central headquarters committee and council for supporting human rights, civil society, and the justice system for the main political party.

Mario married Bonnie Hackett, who is also alumnus of Christ For the Nations Institute, Dallas TX, who apart from assisting in various ministries and outreaches, as well as with the children’s ministry, leads the rock-gospel band “Bez Kompromisa". Together Mario and Bonnie have four children.

Pastoral Staff

Mario believes that the role of a pastoral team is to care for the spiritual needs of the local church. He takes this role very seriously encouraging each member to grow spiritually in his or her relationship with Christ by preparing every sermon and teaching to help the church realize her goal. Every message must be based on biblical principles because it is the foundational task of the church to teach about the blessings man can have when his life is built on a personal relationship with Christ and the foundational principles of the Bible since man can only reach his full potential and find his character renewed through God’s Word and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of this, pastors and elders must be people of prayer, fully surrendered, and called by God to His service; and finally they must be able to teach believers Biblical spiritual truths.

The pastoral team also assists believers by offering counseling for those facing difficulties. Additionally, they collaborate with other Christian fellowships having similar goals. This collaboration or fellowship is manifested in a number of ways in mutual help and support so that their role in building the universal church of Jesus Christ in our country and the world, as well as the needs of building of a spirit of unity and brotherly love among born-again Christians and Biblically established Christian fellowships, can be recognized.