The Albanian Bible Institute:
A resource center for training the Albanian church
Leadership is vital for the health and growth of the church. One of the most desperate needs in the Albanian church is for godly leaders who will be grounded in the Scriptures, possessing a godly character and who will be equipped for ministry. The Albanian Bible Institute, based in Durrës, has been training church leaders from Albania and Kosova for some 15 years. The vision of the school is to prepare leaders who will have an impact not only on their churches and society but also who will be used of God in other nations.
Faculty members Lee Bradley and Pellumb Ranxha
A.B.I. is facing a huge challenge as it seeks to provide theological education for the Albanian church wherever it may be. The number of students coming forward for residential training has been drastically reduced not only in Albania but all over the Balkans. Several Bible schools in the region have closed and others are under threat. In Albania many churches are simply not producing workers and many others simply cannot afford to leave their jobs to come to Bible college. The challenge now is to provide training for churches where they are. Lee Bradley, director the Institute says, “After seeking God and looking carefully at the spiritual situation of where our churches are, we have come to the conclusion that a big paradigm shift is in order. If people will not come to us, we are going to go to them.”
A.B.I. is now undergoing a shift from a residential school to something which is more relevant and more connected to the local churches. Lee continues, “Our aim in the next few years is to become a school that is useful for the Albanian church. We want to be a resource center for their training needs.”
One year Bible certificate
This year has seen the launch of the one year Bible certificate for churches in the Durres area. This course covers the entire Bible in an academic year through part time study. Students come three times a week to the school in the evening and additionally have assignments and class tests also. The commitment of the these students has been magnificent. From the 11 who started 10 are continuing despite some having to travel long distances from work and others having to stay overnight because they cannot get home after school. The only absentee is caring for a sick relative in Italy and has pledged to be back at school in February! Courses on the Penteteuch, historical, poetical and prophetic books have all been completed and we are looking forward to new courses in 2012. One notable feature of the course has been that apart from the director, all the teachers have been Albanian church leaders. It is just a step towards seeing Albanians training Albanians for ministry.
The students of the one year Bible course
Students in class
Stop press: ABI Lushnje is launched!
It is with great thankfulness that we can announce the launching of the one year Bible certificate in Lushnje. Currently three churches are sending students and there are 10 students who have begun this course. Please pray for Lee Bradley and Pellumb Ranxha and other teachers who are scheduled to lead courses in Lushnje. Pray for the ABI faculty in particular as they combine work in Durres and Lushnje and plan for a possible second year in Durres! Pray also that they might be blessed as they teach in Berat and Kosova also and travel many miles to bring teaching and training.
Seminars
Teachers have been in demand over the last few years to give seminars on subjects as broad as worship, creation, preaching and marriage. In the next academic year the school will be hosting a number of seminars both in local churches and in its own facilities in Durrës.
Lee writes, “We would like to also sponsor symposiums here on the campus on various issues facing the Albanian church. There are many topics of moral concern facing the church today and we need to help believers formulate Biblical answers to them.” Another concern is to have retreats and training events for church leaders to not only develop them further but also to refresh them. “So many of our church leaders are worn out and discouraged because of a lack of help and spiritual vitality in their churches. We would like to offer them a time to recharge their batteries and find some tools for continuing their service without quitting the race. The Albanian church cannot afford to lose leaders.”
Pellumb Ranxha teaching at a seminar in Saranda
Prayer points:
- Please pray for Lee as director and for the board as they seek ways of training leaders effectively. Pray for Will Niven as chairman of the board as he seeks to support the work of the school and the staff in particular.
- Pray for the one year Bible certificate program in Durrës. Pray that the participants would grow in character, knowledge and ability that they might serve their local churches more effectively.
- Pray that the new Bible certificate program in Lushnje will be well attended and will equip the local churches for life and ministry.
- Pray for Pëllumb Ranxha, faculty member, who is the first Albanian teacher to work full time at the school. Pray for his growth and also that his ministry might be greatly used.
- Pray for the seminars that are going to be undertaken at or through A.B.I. that they would not only be relevant to the needs of local churches but that they would equip them for life and ministry.
- Pray for symposiums planned on key issues in Albanian life, church ministry and overseas mission that they might be used of God to further the work of the Albanian church. Above all pray that God would be raising up a new generation of workers and leaders for His church and His mission.
The Albanian Bible Institute
Supporting those who train others
The Illyrian Gospel Trust and Albanian Bible Institute have a cooperative agreement in place through which we are seeking to support the ongoing work of this school. There is a great need for help in supporting Pellumb Ranxha in this ministry as our first Albanian member of faculty. Pellumb is himself a graduate of ABI and went on to pastoral ministry in the southern town of Gramsh. Pellumb served on the board of ABI and then was called as trainee teacher. Now as a member of faculty he has a vital role in the work of the school. His experience of Albanian pastoral ministry equips him all the more to train other leaders and workers. However Albanian churches are unable as yet to support workers like this. We need your help not only to support Pellumb but the ongoing work of the school.
If you are interested in helping this ministry please contact the Trust Secretary for more details.
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Pellumb preaching in Saranda
If you would like to know more about the ministry of the Albanian Bible Institute please click on to their website.
