April 28, 2025
The Tide® ministrygears up forAlbanian Parliamentary Elections slated for May 11
As elections draw near in Albania, The Tide® ministry is working to share the Gospel’s hope and salvation amidst election tensions that may arise
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Picture living in an environment where the government has stripped away any sense of spirituality from the culture, where church buildings, temples, mosques or any other type of religious structure were either destroyed or repurposed for other use.
For almost 30 years, Albania was just such a place. Under the communist regime, the authorities in Albania even went so far as to remove the word “God” from their dictionaries. This all changed during the 1990s, and today, Albania is open to missionaries and allows total religious freedom. Despite this, Christians still make up a small minority of the Albanian population: 8.4% is Catholic, 7.2% is Orthodox, and people who embrace evangelical Christianity make up less than 1% of the entire population of Albania.
Even with historic Christian persecution, The Tide® (www.thetide.org) ministry, a global Gospel broadcast ministry located on three continents, has been working in Albania since 2015. In January 2015, in partnership with Radio 7 Albania and some local pastors, The Tide global radio ministry began producing and airing Christian radio programs in the Albanian language. These programs, titled “Sipas Fjales” (“According to the Word”), are being used as a church planting tool as pastors make disciples of listeners who respond to the Gospel.
Albania’s upcoming Parliamentary Elections, scheduled for May 11, are causing rising tension in the region. The ruling Socialist Party is expected to win again, because the main opposition force, the Democratic Party, has been mired in a long crisis, causing party infighting between rival groups, resulting in leadership changes.
“Through The Tide ministry’s work in sharing the Gospel, Christians are able to hear about the power of the Lord’s hope and healing amidst the tensions that may arise due to the elections,” said The Tide ministry Director Don Shenk.
“We’re particularly encouraged by the report from our Albanian Youth TV Program, ‘Time to Talk,’ which airs each week, and is the only youth-focused Christian TV program offered in the Albanian language. Christian youth from different cities in Albania and Kosovo come together to share experiences and testimonies about their relationship with Christ. ‘Time to Talk’ offers inspiration, encouragement and a sense of community while providing a unique platform where young believers can grow in their faith and connect with peers who share their values.
“The newest series of the ‘Time to Talk’ TV program focuses on the passion for Evangelism, reaching out to our friends and neighbors with the greatest message of all time,” continued Shenk. “The main goal was to help young people with practical advice on how to lead others toward the path of salvation and to stir in them a passion to share what God has done in their lives. Testimonials from viewers affirm our efforts.”
“Time to Talk” TV program viewer Ines said, “I was raised by Christian parents and went to church as a child. In my class, I’m the only Christian believer, and I have been bullied a lot for my faith. Though my parents have helped me to deal with some issues lately, I have not shared with them because I felt embarrassed. Because of so much bullying from my peers, I was very afraid to share my faith. The testimonies on the series of the ‘Time to Talk’ program have helped me a lot, not only spiritually but with practical advice on how to stand for my faith.”
From its humble origins in 1946 as a local Gospel radio broadcast in Chambersburg, PA, The Tide® ministry has grown into a global network of Christian media broadcasting partnerships committed to worldwide evangelism and discipleship. In 2008, The Tide® ministry ended all English-language programming in order to focus on developing and distributing indigenous heart-language content in areas around the world that are less touched by the Gospel. Today, The Tide® ministry works with partners in multiple countries across three continents to broadcast Gospel-centered messages via radio, satellite TV and other media. In order to make disciples and plant churches, The Tide® ministry also provides resources for literature distribution, correspondence courses, discipleship and leadership training activities, and the distribution of radios and media players.
For more information about The Tide® ministry broadcast projects, history, radio programs around the world, special year-long campaigns, the weekly Global Update radio features or other news, visit its website at www.thetide.org or its Facebook page.
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To schedule interviews with Don Shenk, director of The Tide® global radio ministry, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, Dawn Foglein, ext. 100, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
To inquire about airing any of The Tide® ministry radio broadcasts, contact Michael Hamilton, 610.584.1096, ext. 101.
