Albania: a nation on the verge of change
Population: 3,545,000 (July 2004 estimate)
As Beni knelt in the mud in the national stadium in 1991 and confessed his faith in Jesus Christ, it didn’t occur to him that he was among the firstborn of a new generation of Christians in his country. Since 1967, when Albania proudly declared itself atheist, it had been known as the “most closed country in the world” to the gospel. For decades, Albania had endured a winter of religious oppression under the brutal dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. (It is estimated that as many as 700,000 people were imprisoned and or put to death during his dictatorship.) As communism fell across Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, Albania was finally opened to the gospel again.
An evangelistic campaign was held at the national stadium in the capital, Tirana, for the first time in history. It was there that Beni met Jesus. No active evangelical churches had existed anywhere in the country, but miraculously within a few years new churches were planted in most towns and cities in Albania. Lasting seeds of biblical truth have now been sown across the nation.
The Albanian population is 70 per cent Muslim (a high percentage of Muslims are not practising Islam in an organised way). In addition there are several hundred thousand Catholics and Orthodox Christians with varying levels of faith and practice. In 1990 the number of evangelical Christians could be counted on one hand, but now they make up about 0.25 per cent of the population (about 20,000). As in many Muslim countries the real religion in Albania is materialism, which appears in the people as a pervasive preoccupation with improving their standard of living. Religion is generally seen as a means to obtain “fat” (good luck in life). Often Albanians will say how “God is one”, meaning that He is the same reliable source for all religions. Yet the idea of a personal relationship with our heavenly Father remains largely unknown to them.
In spite of these barriers, many Albanian believers are trusting in God to transform their country into a Christian nation, even one that sends out missionaries. A high level of unity is reflected in cooperation and healthy communication among many of the churches and missions. This is an excellent beginning.
An evangelistic campaign was held at the national stadium in the capital, Tirana, for the first time in history. It was there that Beni met Jesus. No active evangelical churches had existed anywhere in the country, but miraculously within a few years new churches were planted in most towns and cities in Albania. Lasting seeds of biblical truth have now been sown across the nation.
The Albanian population is 70 per cent Muslim (a high percentage of Muslims are not practising Islam in an organised way). In addition there are several hundred thousand Catholics and Orthodox Christians with varying levels of faith and practice. In 1990 the number of evangelical Christians could be counted on one hand, but now they make up about 0.25 per cent of the population (about 20,000). As in many Muslim countries the real religion in Albania is materialism, which appears in the people as a pervasive preoccupation with improving their standard of living. Religion is generally seen as a means to obtain “fat” (good luck in life). Often Albanians will say how “God is one”, meaning that He is the same reliable source for all religions. Yet the idea of a personal relationship with our heavenly Father remains largely unknown to them.
In spite of these barriers, many Albanian believers are trusting in God to transform their country into a Christian nation, even one that sends out missionaries. A high level of unity is reflected in cooperation and healthy communication among many of the churches and missions. This is an excellent beginning.
Prayer points
* Pray for there to be more openings for the gospel among the Muslim population. May a wave of salvation wash across Albania!
* Pray for strength and wisdom for first-generation Christian families who are learning to apply biblical truths in their relationships, attitudes and habits.
* Pray that the kingdom of God will be manifest in multiple areas of society, from the workplace to the home. Pray for effective ministry concerning social ills such as rampant corruption, abortion, drugs, crime, materialism and violence in the home.
* Albania is in the Balkans, which has been known for centuries as a region of ethnic strife and division. Pray for the Church, that it would be delivered from this negative inheritance and become a source of lasting healing in the region.
Copyright 2005 by 30-Days International. All rights reserved.
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