June 15, 2026
As tourism rises in Albania, Christian persecution and Iran tensions shouldn’t be forgotten
Despite this volatile backdrop, The Tide® continues faithfully sharing the Gospel in Albania in listeners’ heart language
CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Albania is drawing American travelers with the promise of sun-drenched coastlines and affordable adventure — but beneath the tourism surge lies a sobering reality the global church cannot ignore. The U.S. Embassy in Albania has issued a security advisory warning that groups associated with Iran may seek to target venues frequented by tourists and expatriates, including hotels, shopping malls and restaurants. Albania’s parliament has adopted a resolution declaring Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, citing evidence of the Islamic Republic’s financing, training, arming and directing of non-state armed groups.
Amid this volatile backdrop, The Tide® (www.thetide.org) global radio ministryquietly continues its faithful mission — broadcasting the Gospel in the Albanian heart language and transforming lives one listener at a time.
Albania carries a weighty spiritual history. Once declared the world’s first atheist state, the nation endured decades of forced religious silence. Today, The Tide ministry works in partnership with Radio 7 Albania and local pastors to produce and air Christian radio programs in the Albanian language. These programs, titled “Sipas Fjales” (“According to the Word”), serve as a church-planting tool — pastors disciple listeners who respond to the Gospel message they hear over the airwaves, helping to quietly grow the body of Christ in a country still finding its spiritual footing.
“Albania is a nation whose faith was suppressed for generations — but God has not forgotten it,” said Don Shenk, executive director of The Tide. “Through our partnership with Radio 7 Albania and dedicated local pastors, we are seeing the Gospel take root in Albanian soil. Every broadcast is an invitation, and every response is a living testimony to what God is doing in a place the world might otherwise overlook.”
The ministry’s impact is most powerfully told through the lives it has touched. A Muslim-background believer from Albania — rejected by her family because of her newfound faith in Christ — found comfort and spiritual sustenance through The Tide’s broadcasts. She shared:
“Listening to Radio 7 Albania filled my heart with God’s truth that Jesus will never reject me, and I will forever be in His family. I remember there were many days that I didn’t have any strength to get out of bed. But through the radio, God always had a message for me. I’m so very thankful for the Albanian pastors who have been teaching me how to depend on God. ‘Sipas Fjales’ has been a favorite program for many years and has taught me that God never changes, and His plans for us are good to give us a future. Radio 7 is 24/7 nonstop in my house. For over 18 years, Radio 7 has been my counselor and friend.”
The Tide also reaches Albania’s next generation through “Time to Talk,” a television program featuring Christian young people from cities across Albania and Kosovo who share experiences and testimonies about their relationship with Christ. For many of these young believers, standing firm in faith comes at a real social cost. Viewer Ines shared how the program helped her navigate bullying at school:
“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 for my faith. Though my parents have helped me to deal with some issues, I have not shared with them because I felt embarrassed. Because of the bullying from my peers, I was very afraid to share my faith. The testimonies on ‘Time to Talk’ have helped me a lot, not only spiritually but with practical advice on how to stand for my faith.”
“Albania may be making travel headlines, but it is also a place where the Gospel is urgently needed—and that is precisely why The Tide’s presence there matters,” Shenk stated. “When the world sees Iran-related tensions and embassy advisories, we see a people who need to hear that there is a God who loves them and sent His Son for them. That message doesn’t stop broadcasting because the headlines are difficult.”
By reaching people with the Gospel message in their local languages and considering regional customs, The Tide makes Christ even more relatable to those who need to feel His love. To learn more about The Tide’s ministry in Albania, click here.
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, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
To inquire about airing any of The Tide® ministry radio broadcasts, contact Michael Hamilton, 610.584.1096, ext. 101.
