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Ray Wheeler
Tom Bonner
Montenegro
Kosova
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Albania
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Christian leadership and
preacher training
“THE ALBANIAN PEOPLE have hacked their way through history, sword
in hand," proclaims the preamble to Albania's 1976 Stalinist constitution.
Hoxha, transformed the people’s minds into hate as he mimicked Joseph
Stalin. One of the residues of his mind control is the thousands of
concrete bunkers built to persuade the people that others, including
America, would come take all of their possessions. Albanians believed that
they were very wealthy. They have been the “armpit” of Europe, an economic
failure. Hoxha found one way to control – the children. Pay the children
to tell if a neighbor had any copy of political or religious literature or
even if they pointed their television antennas toward Italy. Those bunkers
line the roads today throughout the countryside.
“Hoxha rewrote Albania’s history so that national heroes were recast,
sometimes overnight, as villains. He appealed to the Albanian’s xenophobia
(one unduly fearful of what is foreign and especially of people of foreign
origin) and their defensive nationalism to parry criticism and threats to
communist central control and his regime and justify its brutal, arbitrary
rule and economic and social folly. Only Hoxha's death, the timely
downfall of communism in Eastern Europe at the end of the 1980s, and the
collapse of the nation's economy were enough to break his spell and propel
Albania fitfully toward change.” Ref. Internet
WORLD ENGLISH INSTITUTE (WEI) is CHANGING ALBANIA:
http://www.weiady.org/about%20WEI/about_wei.htm
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In 1991, Bill McDonough ran a
series of ads in Albania offering FREE English with Bible as their
reading assignment. More than 5,000 people responded and enrolled in
WEI. Churches were planted.
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During the summer of 1992, Bill
McDonough, Ben Jones, and Dick Ady led twenty-six teachers in a
follow-up campaign in Tirana, Albania. Forty-two students were baptized
in August.
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During the past twelve years,
more than 1,100 Albanians have been baptized into Christ, most of them
from Muslim backgrounds. Churches have been established in eleven
Albanian cities and in Prizren, Kosova, their next door neighbor. Active
Congregations have been established in Durres, Elbasan, Fier, Korçë,
Lushnja, Pogradec, Tirana, and Vlorë.
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American missionaries are gradually leaving Albania.
Brent Parr left Fier last summer. Pete Hodge left Elbasan in May. Kevin
and Allison Morrill are leaving Pogradec in June. Increasingly, church
leadership is being transferred into the hands of Albanians.
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The need for informed, well trained nationals is
critical. If the churches in Albania and Kosova are to survive, thrive,
and plant other churches, they must be led by Albanians who know the
scriptures and are able to share the Good News with others.
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The churches in Durres,
Elbasan, Tirana, and Pogradec are now led by Albanians with American
missionaries only assisting. Young preachers are ready to lead all over
Albania.
SUNSET INTERNATIONAL BIBLE INSTITUTE OF ALBANIA (IBIA):
http://www.weiady.org/update/current_update.htm
“Sunset
International Bible Institute, and the Adams Blvd. Church of Christ in
Bartlesville, Oklahoma are forming a partnership for Albania. SIBI is
organizing the school and developing the curriculum. The Adams Blvd.
church is sponsoring Steve and Deborah Stamatis and providing about half
of their personal support.”
In January
2005 (previously September 2005), but now delayed due to
funding needs), the International Bible Institute (formerly known as the
Sunset School of Preaching in Lubbock, TX) will begin a leadership
training school in Tirana for the future preachers of Albania. The school
is open to all from all over Europe. Steve Stamatis will be the first dean
of the school in Tirana. This school has great potential because it is in
one of the most successfully evangelized nations in all Europe, and the
studies will be conducted in English. Already, there are eight students
planning to attend this school as it begins.
RATIONALE:
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There must be a clear
understanding of biblical principles
in all who would lead the church, wherever it exists. The aim should be
to allow the culture of the country, filtered through the clear
directives of scripture, to form the nature of new congregations. This
will happen when opportunities exist for leaders to be trained in the
scriptures, as well as in the various elements of effective leadership.
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It costs much less
to support a nationalist preacher than an American missionary due to
national health care, less travel, and different levels of expectations
for standard of living. Figure $3000 a month for an American couple
versus $400 to $1000 per month for an Albanian couple depending on where
they live and if they own their home. The school offers FREE tuition.
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The school’s location is prime
for all Europe. The country’s travel and visa
restrictions are favorable.
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Bible
translations of the Greek and Hebrew into English are highly reliable.
Biblical studies and lesson preparation are true to Biblical truths.
Instructions in English will support church leaders in most European
countries. English is quickly becoming the world’s language.
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Foreign Missionaries have set
the stage and national men of faith
are ready to lead in Albania and other Balkan states.
URGENT NEEDS: DICK ADY, WEI
PRESIDENT
There are two urgent needs related to the training school:
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Scholarship funds.
We estimate that $500 a month (previously $300 to $500) will
provide food, lodging, and basic personal needs for a student. Would you
or your congregation like to sponsor a student and help train leaders
for churches throughout Eastern Europe?
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Startup funds.
First, a temporary teaching facility must be rented. It will probably be
a year before the remodeling project mentioned above is completed.
Second, the school must be equipped with tables, chairs, textbooks, etc.
In cooperation with Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock, I
have agreed to be responsible for raising these funds. Now, the pressure
is on.
This training
school is vital to the future of the church in the Balkans. WEI has been
an effective tool for bringing people to Christ. Now, IBIA is desperately
needed for training leaders.
Please help us make this leadership training
school a reality.
RECOMMENDATION FROM ALBANIA:
Ray Wheeler, Durres. “It is a pleasure to work as a missionary
along side Albanian ministers as we spread the Gospel to the community of
Durres. I see many good church plantings all around Albania. As we have
visited and know of missions in other countries in Europe and Japan one
problem stands out -- there are few indigenous men being trained to preach
the Word to communities upon the departure of the foreign missionaries.
This leads to continuing dependence on foreign manpower and funding to
continue on in the Lords work in foreign communities. It takes time for a
foreigner to learn language, adjust to cultural differences and become an
effective servant in these mission fields. One of the greatest things I
see happening in Albania is the opening of the International Bible
Institute of Albania. This school should enable the church in Albania to
grow and be fed by trained citizen leaders who will know better how to
disciple others into leadership in the kingdom. Many who would like to go
to existing schools such as the Sunset school in Athens or the British
Bible School are thwarted by their inability to get visas to enter the
European Union. Having a school here should make it easier for students
from Bulgaria, Romania, Kosova, Croatia, Macedonia and other former Soviet
countries to get Christian leadership and preacher training.''
Tom Bonner, Lushnja. “I came to Albania in 2002 with the intention
of staying at least five years. It has always been my goal to plant a
church in Lushnja that would be an Albanian church. It is impossible that
there not be some “fingerprints” on the works started here by foreign
persons. However, as much as possible the aim should be to allow the
culture of the country, filtered through the clear directives of
scripture, to form the nature of new congregations. This will happen when
opportunities exist for leaders to be trained in the scriptures, as well
as in the various elements of effective leadership.
“In the small church here in Lushnja we currently have two young men who
are desirous of being leaders in the church. One is currently attending an
evangelical seminar in Croatia, and the other is preparing himself for
work in the field of dental care, as a maker of prosthodontics. These,
plus others, are the hope for the church in Lushnja. It is not necessary
to make preachers of all the men, but there must be a clear understanding
of biblical principles in all who would lead the church, wherever it
exists.
“Therefore, I am very glad to learn of this joint effort to provide an
environment for biblical training. Sacrifices have been made to bring the
plans for International Bible Institute of Albania to their present
status. More sacrifices will be needed by many people to continue the
plans and see God glorified through the existence of this school. It is
not really feasible for most Albanians to even consider attending such a
school unless it has financial support from outside. Please consider
putting this work in your financial plans so that men and women can be
trained in the most important subject there is: the eternal word of God.”
SUNSET'S
MISSION:
Go to their website, then see and hear their video presentation. Return
here by using your web browser's "back" button, please. Then, tell others
especially your mission committee and elders. There hasn't been this
opportunity to evangelize Europe since WWII.
http://www.sibi.cc/index.htm
IBIA HISTORY:
“SIBI was
established in 1962 by Cline R. Paden, who served as Director of the
school for thirty-one years. First known as Latin American Bible School,
the school was also named West Texas Bible School and Sunset School of
Preaching, prior to its current designation, given in 1995. In 1993 Truitt
Adair was appointed as the school's second Director and Paden became
Chancellor.
“The longevity of administration and faculty plays a large role in the
stability and fruitfulness of the SIBI ministry. Of the original four
faculty members, two are still actively teaching at SIBI after thirty-five
years. Currently the school has nineteen full-time teachers, several of
whom have tenures of two or three decades of continual service to the
school.
“A 1987 survey revealed that graduates of SIBI have been used by God to
produce over 200,000 conversions, plant 1,500 new churches, train 3,500
preachers and appoint 1,650 elders, all to the glory of God.”
TRAINING:
”We are in the business of training people for service to Jesus Christ and
believe that the quality of any training depends on the quality of its
trainers. No teacher can effectively train others to do what the teacher
has never done. SIBI teachers have distinguished themselves in educational
achievements, but much more, they have excelled in living virtuous lives
and in saving many souls and building spiritually mature and active
churches all over the world.
“The value of a training program grows out of the quality of its
curriculum. The SIBI ministry training program is described as
non-traditional. The typical graduate from the basic ministerial training
program will have compacted the traditional four years of training into
two years of studies, and will have completed:
36 courses in the Biblical text and ministry applications, covering every
book in the Bible. 4 elective courses in a major field (youth, deaf,
missions, preaching)
10 ministry skill courses to involve students in the practical aspects of
ministry 8 preaching lab courses to develop the public proclamation skills
of the student
Evangelistic
campaigns, ministry internships, workshops, seminars, chapel lectures,
faculty mentoring, counseling, student orientation and mid-course
evaluations complete the curriculum of 128 learning units.
"The effectiveness of our training program ultimately stands or falls on
the fruit shown in the lives and works of our students after they
graduate."
HISTORY: "The Albanians are probably an ethnic outcropping of the
Illyrians mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Romans. After the fall of
Rome, all of the Illyrian tribes disappeared during the Dark Ages. Then,
in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Ottoman Turks swept into
the western Balkans. Albanians succumbed to the Turkish sultan's forces.
During five centuries of Ottoman rule, about two-thirds of the Albanian
population, including its most powerful feudal landowners, converted to
Islam. Albanian nationalism stirred for the first time in the late
nineteenth century when it appeared that Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and
Greece would snatch up the Ottoman Empire's Albanian-populated lands. In
1878 Albanian leaders organized the Prizren League, which pressed for
autonomy within the empire. After decades of unrest and the Ottoman
Empire's defeat in the First Balkan War in 1912-13, Albanian leaders
declared Albania an independent state, and Europe's Great Powers carved
out an independent Albania after the Second Balkan War of 1913. During WW
I, the Albanians looked to Italy for protection. Mussolini sought to
dominate Albania. Albanian communists and nationalists fought each other
as well as the occupying Italian and German forces during World War II,
and with Yugoslav and Allied assistance the communists triumphed. After
the war, communist strongmen Enver Hoxha and Mehmet Shehu eliminated their
rivals inside the communist party.
"A forbidding mountain homeland and resilient tribal society enabled the
Albanians to survive into modern times with their identity their
Indo-European language intact." Ref. Internet
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