Day of Joy in Albania

In the second half of September 2024, an international congregation celebrated a milestone in the history of The United Methodist Church in Albania.
 
September 22, 2024, was an important day for The United Methodist Church in Albania: a large congregation, which filled the church in Pogradec, celebrated a service led by Pastor Mustafa Isufi with the ordination of Florian Çela and Gjergj Lushka as elders of the Church. Songs accompanied by a band and the sermon by Bishop Stefan Zürcher invited everyone to focus on Jesus Christ. He is the one who builds his Church.
 
Florian Çela is a pastor in Elbasan, Gjergj Lushka in Durrës and Tirana. This means that in addition to Superintendent Wilfried Nausner and his wife Jean, there are now three ordained elders working in Albania, as well as a lay employee who is also studying theology. Guests from other congregations in Albania joined in the service. Pastors and other people from the UMC in North Macedonia, Serbia, Austria and Switzerland were also present. The UMC congregations in Serbia, North Macedonia and Albania have been part of a joint annual conference since 2019.
 
This joyful day in Pogradec was preceded by a seminar for the pastors. One of the seminar topics was the role and significance of the covenant in the Methodist tradition. Superintendent Wilfried Nausner, who led this part, emphasized: "A covenant, whether it is a marriage covenant, a covenant of ordained elders or any other covenant, contains a promise that we first make to ourselves and take responsibility for keeping. This then results in a promise to others for the future. Another topic was setting priorities as a pastor. Pastor John Calhoun from the English-speaking UMC in Vienna gave a very personal introduction to the topic, which stimulated valuable discussions and in-depth reflection among the participants.
 
This seminar with pastors from the entire Annual Conference also provided an important opportunity to deepen relationships with one another and cultivate friendships. Once again, in the Bishop's discussions with pastors and leaders, the importance of such sustainable relationships with one another, but also across borders in such uncertain times as these, was expressed.
 
On his trip to the Balkans, Bishop Stefan Zürcher and his wife also visited the local church in Buzaishtë. It is located in a remote mountainous area that can only be reached by four-wheel drive vehicles in a one-hour drive. After a traditional lunch in the village bar, which is run by a member of the local church, around 30 people of all ages came together in the church hall for a time of encounter with songs, reports, a short devotional and conversations – and where English was not possible as a common language, an open heart and gestures with the head, hands, and feet helped people to understand each other. Alfros Hykos also introduced the guests to the potato project that he has been managing with great commitment for several years and showed them the fields and the well-stocked storage room. The project offers numerous families from the local population an opportunity to earn a small income through personal commitment.
 
Although the UMC in Albania is still small, its dynamism and its relatively large impact are very impressive. The pastors and many committed lay people are trying to meet the challenges of today in an appropriate and effective way. The emigration of young, well-educated people is – among others –a major challenge in the UMC, too. The training of leaders, spiritual growth, and the discovery of the social dimension of faith are, therefore, priorities of the current work.
 
Source: Bishop Stefan Zürcher, Zurich (Switzerland)
Photo: Florian Çela (left) and Gjergj Lushka (right) with their spouses