Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Albania. See below for the Comparative Growth and Future Prospects sections of this article.
The Church in Albania stands out as a significant outlier among countries in Southeastern Europe for several reasons. No other country in the region has as many members on Church records as Albania. Albania has the highest percentage of nominal Latter-day Saints in the population of any former communist country in Southeastern Europe or Eastern Europe. No other country in Southeast Europe has as high of a percentage of the population that lives in a city with a Latter-day Saint congregation. Furthermore, Albania is also the only country in the region where essentially all large and medium-sized cities (30,000 or more people) have a Church presence. Also, the Church in Albania has experienced steady arithmetic membership growth rates for nearly thirty years whereas the Church in most Southeast European countries reported rapid membership growth followed by stagnant or extremely slow membership growth since approximately 2010. Excluding countries with a Church presence established after 2010, Albania is the only country in the region where the Church has never discontinued a branch or closed its only ward or branch in a city. The only stake in Southeast Europe is located in Albania. Albania also appears to have the highest number of local members who serve full-time missions among countries in the region. Member activity rates in Albania appear higher than most countries in the region as well...
...The Church in Albania has achieved significant growth and progress within the past decade at a time in Europe when the Church in most countries has experienced stagnation or slight decline. Local leaders have been optimistic that a second stake may be organized in Albania within the next decade given historically consistent membership growth rates and recent progress with leadership development and outreach expansion. However, the Church in Albania continues to struggle with its ability for branches to mature into wards in additional cities—a requirement for any realistic prospects for a second stake to be created anytime soon. The organization of a district to service branches in southern Albania appears a more likely prospect given historical growth trends. Furthermore, prospects for future EU membership for Albania may pose a significant setback for Church growth given the Church’s experience in other former communist nations where EU membership is achieved as many local Latter-day Saints often emigrate and leave significant voids in leadership. Nevertheless, there are good opportunities for additional growth that appear time sensitive before populations become less receptive to the Church. Member groups that currently operate, particularly in Kamez and Kombinat, may become branches in the coming months and years if warranted by stable and increasing numbers of active members and if there is adequate leadership available. Additional cities may open to proselytism and have member groups or branches organized, such as Kavajë or cities in southern Albania. Lastly, Tirana appears a likely candidate for a small temple within the next 1-2 decades given distance to the nearest temple in Rome, Italy, the operation of a stake, and the relatively high percentage of Latter-day Saints in the population.
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For the information of all who read this blog and its' threads, last night, I found an article from LDS Living indicating that, except in a few cases where the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has granted an exception, or where stake business is able to be handled remotely, a new letter from President M. Russell Ballard announced the cancelation of all stake conferences Churchwide through at least November 1. Anyone interested can find that article at the following web address:
https://www.ldsliving.com/Stake-conferences-canceled-through-November-1-exceptions-can-be-requested/s/93018
Hope this information is helpful.
How many full time missionaries in Albania now?
I am not surprised that stake conferences have been cancelled for the time being.
One thing to see will be when the Church returns to having youth and YSA dances. I know much recent spread especially in Texas is linked to college aged youths having parties that involved dancing. I am not even sure traditional slow dancing would be safe with masks.
I am so glad I am married now. I would not have done well as a youth or YSA under COVID-19 conditions. The youth in my branch had a regional youth dance planned for March 14th, but that was cancelled. Our Feb 29 and March 1 Stake conference was among the last held in North America and only a week before the last held anywhere.
Here in Michigan we are averaging under 10 covid-19 deaths a day and 150 to 250 new cases. We still do not have a date for sacrament meeting ro resume.
I believe the Detroit Temple reopened this week, but all temples seem to be in phase 1 that have reopened.
No new endowments have been given since March 25h. We almost certainly have a growing number of missionaries who have not been endowed.
We are lacking many active members of my branch at Zoom devotionals. I hope 8n person meeting resume.
I am craving at least some reports on in person meetings are finding nothing.
I heard Idaho resumed June 14th. This was Kurt Frankom the podcaster from Leading Saints. My parents ward im Valdosta, GA returns July 5.
Southern California will not be returning for multiple months at least- the governor seems to be opposing religious gatherings as much as he can. Even when religious gatherings are reinstated, our church probably will not go back immediately.
I wonder what percentage of the missionaries in Albania are ethnic Albanian? I understand that Kosovars are in effect ethnic Albanians.
Also, how hard is it to become fluent or conversant in Albanian?
Albania might become the first Balkan nation to acquire its own temple, it seems...
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I certainly wouldn't want to slow dance in a mask. ;)
My stake up here in Ogden has been one of the earliest to reopen, so far as I've heard about the lockdown situation in other areas. We started sacrament meeting for half the ward three Sundays ago, and I got to attend my first sacrament meeting back today.
I had reopened our basketball group in the gym over a month ago, but we got the kibosh from the Stake Presidency after a couple of weeks (talked to them and my Bishop today, though, and was told we can most likely resume shortly after Weber County goes into the "green" stage).
A roommate of mine at BYU is the only person I've known to have served in Albania. Also had roommates in that same apartment who served in Greece and the Czech Republic. Knew a girl in my hometown (the Bishop's daughter) who was one of the first missionaries in the mid to late nineties to serve in one of the former Yugoslav nations (Serbia, I believe).
I hope that Albania's likely accession to the EU doesn't disrupt the Church's progress too much. Hopefully, many of those who would potentially emigrate to other countries find their local Church of Jesus Christ of LDS branches and stay faithful.
For those in the know here, does EU membership generally help the economies of the smaller states that join them? I read back in 2004 (when several now-member states joined) that accession to the union can sometimes be bad for small mom and pop businesses.
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My stake in Ammon, ID has stated the return to abreviated church service will be July 5th.
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