For decades, the country of Albania was under strict communist rule, from the 1940s until the early 1990s. During this time, religious expression was heavily suppressed. But in 1991, Albania reopened its borders and restored religious freedom to its people. This monumental shift created an incredible opportunity for missionaries to enter the country and freely share the gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time in nearly 50 years.

One of those early missionaries was Pastor Jeff Bartell, who served in Albania from 1992 to 2006. During that time, he helped plant a church in the capital city of Tirana. Over the past 30 years, that church has continued to grow through various evangelistic efforts and has now planted three additional churches across the country.

Among the most impactful of these outreach ministries are the Youth Bible Camps, which play a vital role in reaching the next generation with the gospel. First Baptist Church has been honored to partner with Albanian Youth Ministries in supporting these camps over the past several years. Seeing firsthand the transformation in the lives of Albanian youth has deepened our passion to see this work continue and expand.

This year, all proceeds from the “Fore the Kingdom” golf outing will go toward helping the two newest church plants in their outreach through Youth Bible Camps. It’s our prayer that, through your support, many more young hearts in Albania will come to know the love and truth of Jesus Christ.