Our missions team recently returned from Albania, where representatives conducted a Leader-to-Leader training seminar for pastors from across Albania and Kosovo. Traveling to Albania as part of the group was Director Don Shenk, who noted that Albania was once an atheist state and is now predominantly Muslim, but since 1998 Albania has legally allowed total religious freedom. Despite many mission organizations entering Albania, however, it is still estimated that less than 1 percent of the population are evangelical Christians.
“The purpose of our visit to Albania was to encourage and resource pastors who are engaged in leading young congregations and planting new churches,” Shenk said. “Since 2015, The Tide ministry has been working with some of these pastors to effectively share the Gospel with Albanians in their own language in a culturally relevant context. After this wonderful time of training and outreach, we can now further encourage them to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and to work cooperatively to build God’s Kingdom in the hearts of people throughout that region of the world.”
The prayer leading up to the trip was that God would use The Tide team to serve as a support system for the pastors who are on the front lines of ministry, serving to establish and grow congregations in communities throughout Albania. The week’s activities included training sessions, worship and fellowship, and prayer and discussions with pastors and their wives.
The Tide first began reaching pastors and believers in Albania in 2015 through a partnership with Radio 7 Albania, for which we produce and air Christian radio programs in the Albanian language. These programs, titled “Sipas Fjales” (“According to the Word”) are being used as a church planting tool as pastors make disciples of listeners who respond to the Gospel.
Read more about our work in Albania.