Just how long have Evangelical missionaries been active in Albania anyway? I found out this last week that it has been longer than I thought, but with some significant gaps.

I have recently returned from the annual conference of the Albanian Encouragement Project (or AEP), which is the umbrella organization that was formed in 1991 to assist the evangelical missions community here. It represents about 71 different evangelical missions organizations that have workers or projects in Albania. Our keynote speaker was one of the pioneer church planters that came into Albania when it re-opened to the Gospel back in 1991, John Quanrud. John has studied a lot of the early work of evangelical missionaries in Albania and has written about one of the key figures, Gjerazim Qiriazi (“jerazeem cheeree-ahzee”). In addition to being a strong Christian witness, Qiriazi was a true Albanian patriot and a hero of the country. What we found was that Christian work in Albania has been going on for at least 120 years! Qiriazi was a significant Christian influence in Albania in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s yet the communist regime after WWII tried to ignore his Christianity, and in fact, claimed that it was all a ruse to get foreign funding! All one has to do is read his writings to see that it is just not true. He was a man with a vision for his homeland, and a burning desire to see it won for Christ. He was a fervent evangelist, and a key leader in education as a means to present the Bible in the Albanian language.

As I learn more about the AEP, and my role as the assistant Administrator, I am encouraged by what God has done, and is doing, here in Albania. In only 15 short years, Albania has come from being one of the most closed countries in the world, to one that sends workers out to other closed countries to share the Gospel message. Even though the church here is still in its infancy, in many ways, it is reaching out beyond its years. Our church’s vision to see Albania become a blessing to the other nations of the world is becoming a reality, and we pray that it will continue to grow and expand. We pray that God would raise up more men like Qiriazi – Albanian men, visionaries, Evangelists, committed to seeing their country reached for Christ!