Alban Matohiti became the first Albanian to be ordained as a pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Albania. Twenty-nine year old Alban from Albania’s capital city Tirana was among the first group of Albanians to become Christians and join the Adventist church. Participating in the ordination service was Pastor David Currie, former Ministerial Secretary for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans European region, who pioneered the work in Albania following the fall of Communism.

Alban Matohiti was a high school student and attended the 1992 evangelistic meetings conducted by Pastor Currie in the former Congress Hall. Baptized with friends in April of that year, Alban chose to attend worship services rather than school classes. After completing high school, Alban was encouraged by Pastor Currie to consider a call to ministry and was invited to work as a trainee pastor. These early ministry experiences were guided by Pastors Ron Edwards and Pekka Tahti, former presidents of the Adventist Church in
Albania.

Alban and his friend Julian Kastrati were sponsored for formal theological training at Newbold College (England) from 1996-1999. After graduation, Alban returned to Albania and pastored first in Elbasan, and now in Albania’s second city Durres. Alban has commenced a MA Leadership and Management degree by distance learning from Avondale College in Australia.

The ordination was the central feature of the 'Festival of Faith', a biannual gathering of members and friends of the Adventist church from throughout the country. Nearly 100 worshipers gathered for the festival, with more than 20 members and visitors coming from Durres.

"The attendance of this group from Durres is testimony to the ministry of Alban in that city," said Leigh Rice, leader of the church in Albania.

An evangelistic center is currently being developed in an old villa in Durres' city center. The worldwide Adventist Church's 2000 Special Bible School Offering funded reconstruction and furnishing of the villa for its new purpose.

Others who participated in the ordination were Sretko Kuburic, Secretary for the Adventist Church in the Adriatic, and Leigh Rice, whose message on Timothy, traced the young pastor’s journey of faith and his call to pastoral ministry. The challenge to Alban and the
worshippers was to follow Timothy’s life of ministry and service.

More than 260 people worship in eight Seventh-day Adventist congregations in Albania each week. [Editor: Leigh Rice for ANR/APD]