Kosovo: Pioneer Church Planter

Former long-term VMMissions’ workers Vince and LaVonne Ramella lived in Istog, where they sowed gospel seeds through friendships and their business for transformation, “Lady Latte.” Istog is home to a milk processing plant started a few years ago by a group of American Christian businessmen/farmers interested in business for transformation. At present there is only one believer in the outlying area of their town.

Singles and/or couples are needed to form a long-term church planting team, partnering with existing believers and planting gospel seeds through their work and community relationships.
Albanian language study is essential. Assignment is a minimum of two years with openness to successive terms.

Context: This land-locked country in the Balkans belonged to the southern part of Serbia until it declared its independence in February 2008. With a dominant population of two million mostly ethnic Albanians (90%), it has a history of many bitter conflicts with the Serbs (10%); the most recent one was in 1999, when Serbia invaded and burned down many houses. With much devastation to the economy and infrastructure, Kosovo is now slowly working to re-build. Many, however, seek to leave Kosovo in search of a better life.

Life moves slowly and family and relationships are still the hub of society. Since it was under the rule of the Ottoman Turks in the middle ages, Turkish culture is still prominent in food, music, dance, and language. Most Kosovars are nominal Muslims and a small minority is Albanian Catholic. Though there are some evangelical churches, particularly in the capital city of Pristina, the church as a whole remains very small and under pressure.

Contact Tom Yoder to learn more about this assignment.