Albania’s experience with Communism has been economically, morally and spiritually devastating. The savagery of the repression was such that 700,000 were killed or imprisoned for long periods. A high proportion of the population was coerced into spying on neighbours. The anarchy, chaos and corruption of the 1990s is an outworking of this grim past. Pray for the peace and development of Albania and for the provision of just and fair government.
Religious freedom could be withdrawn. After Communism’s collapse the Muslims, Catholics (in the north) and Orthodox Christians (in the south) sought to regain their past influence and to limit any other religious activity. Pray that the Balkan cauldron of ethnic and religious hatreds may not erode the present freedoms.
Muslim countries have poured in huge amounts of aid and missionaries. Over one million Qur’ans have been distributed, 900 mosques refurbished or built between 1993 and 1995, and thousands given scholarships to study Islamic theology abroad. The government secretly joined the World Muslim League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to the dismay of many. Most of the mosques are poorly attended and ignorance of Islam is high among professing Muslims. Pray that Albania may be spared the sorrows of extreme Islamism, and that Muslims may turn from the religion forced on the population in the 14th Century by their Turkish Ottoman conquerors.
The evangelical witness in Albania has grown dramatically since 1991. Before WWII there was one functioning evangelical congregation. By the end of 1992 there were over 1,000 believers gathering regularly in 19 congregations and 17 home fellowships. By 2000 there were over 55 denominations in over 130 congregations and 55 emerging groups. Over 80% of these are linked with the Albania Encouragement Project. The Albanian Evangelical Alliance links together 60% of all evangelical churches and agencies. Pray that Evangelicals may be recognized as having a wholesome role in the recovery of the country.
The training of leaders after the devastations wrought by the Communists is a major preoccupation of the Church. The Catholics and Orthodox had 136 in training for pastoral ministry in 1998. Evangelical agencies had to accelerate leadership development for the young congregations when so many expatriates were forced out of the country in the violence and anarchy of 1997. A number of agencies are involved in leadership training. About 75 Albanians are in full-time training and many more on distance-learning programmes.
Evangelical mission agencies have multiplied since 1990. In 1995 Albania was the most heavily ‘missionized’ country in Europe — by both Muslims and Christians. Over 70 agencies have networked in both aid projects, literature production, evangelism and church planting. Pray for:
- Unity. Deep trust, coordination and close fellowship that will set high spiritual standards.
- Long-term vision and goals. Much of the present work is short-term. Pray for the calling of long-term workers who learn the language and culture and then contribute to the maturing of churches and the training of leaders.
- Wisdom in transition from aid to development. Misuse of aid has been a serious and spiritually damaging problem.
- Tact and discernment as Albanian leadership emerges.
