Investing in the Next Generation of Albania
The road to Ersekë winds through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Albania. Mountains rise in layers of blue and green, their peaks often hidden beneath drifting clouds. Narrow roads weave through valleys dotted with farms, villages, and winding rivers. In the summer, the hillsides burst with wildflowers. In winter, snow blankets the mountains, bringing quiet beauty to the countryside. Albanians have always been people closely connected to the outdoors. Across the country, families spend their weekends hiking mountain trails, camping along rivers, and gathering around lakes. Whether exploring the rugged peaks of the Albanian Alps or enjoying the waters of the Adriatic coast, there is a deep appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation woven into everyday life. Yet beneath Albania’s natural beauty lies a complicated history.
For nearly fifty years, Albania lived under one of the most restrictive communist regimes in the world. Religion was outlawed. Churches and mosques were closed. Public expressions of faith disappeared. An entire generation grew up with little opportunity to hear the Gospel or understand who Jesus truly is. When communism collapsed in the early 1990s, Albania reopened to the world. The Gospel, once silenced, began to be proclaimed again. Slowly, faithfully, seeds were planted across the country. Today, some of those seeds continue to flourish in the mountain town of Ersekë through the ministry of Eric and Kathy Gundy. For twenty-five years, Torchbearers Albania has served as a place where young people can encounter Jesus, grow in their faith, and be equipped for a lifetime of discipleship. What began as a vision to reach Albanian youth with the Gospel has grown into a ministry that now impacts thousands of lives every year. Each summer, buses and vans arrive from cities, towns, and villages across Albania. Young people step onto campus carrying backpacks, sleeping bags, and the anticipation of a week away from home. Some come from Christian families. Others arrive because a friend invited them. Many simply come looking for adventure, community, or a place where they belong. What they discover is something more.
The atmosphere feels familiar to anyone who has experienced Christian camp before. Laughter echoes across the grounds. Games spill onto fields. Meals become opportunities for friendship. Conversations stretch late into the evening. Surrounded by mountains and removed from the distractions of daily life, campers experience a unique environment where they can slow down, listen, and reflect. And in the middle of it all, the Word of God is opened and alive. For some campers, it is the first time they have heard the Gospel clearly explained. For others, it is the first time they have met Christians whose lives demonstrate genuine joy, purpose, and hope. Every year, nearly 2,000 young people participate in these camps. What may appear to be a simple summer experience often becomes a defining moment in a young person’s spiritual journey. The impact extends far beyond a single week.
Questions raised during Bible studies continue long after camp ends. Friendships formed around campfires become discipleship relationships. Seeds planted through Scripture begin to take root in homes, families, and communities throughout Albania. This long-term vision is what has shaped the Gundys’ ministry from the very beginning. Camp has never been simply about recreation. It has always been about discipleship. For more than two decades, Eric and Kathy have faithfully stewarded camp ministry as an opportunity to introduce young people to Christ while walking with them toward spiritual maturity. That commitment eventually led to another significant ministry: the Torchbearers Bible School. Now celebrating twenty years of ministry, the Bible school serves as a training ground for emerging Christian leaders from Albania and beyond. Students spend months studying Scripture, wrestling with theology, deepening their relationship with Christ, and discovering what it means to follow Him in every area of life.
But discipleship is formed in more than lectures and textbooks. It takes shape in lakeside laughter, volleyball matches that stretch into the evening, shared snacks and conversations among friends, and moments of courage as students race to the top of the climbing wall. Here, faith is not only taught but also lived together in community. What began as a single program has expanded into both first-year and second-year courses. This year marked a significant milestone, with forty-seven students enrolled across the two programs, the largest class in the school’s history. Forty-seven students, with forty-seven stories, and Lord willing forty-seven opportunities for the Gospel to continue spreading throughout Albania and beyond. Each student represents future ministry that cannot yet be measured. Some will serve in churches. Others will disciple young believers, influence their communities, or simply live faithfully for Christ in their everyday vocations. Their impact will ripple outward into families, churches, and communities for years to come. This is the beauty of ministry and discipleship. Its results are rarely immediate, but they are often exponential.
A camper becomes a student. A student becomes a leader. A leader influences countless others. One transformed life becomes many. In a country where the evangelical church is still relatively young, ministries like Torchbearers provide both roots and wings: roots grounded firmly in Scripture and wings that enable believers to serve Christ boldly wherever He calls them. Yet as the ministry has grown, so have the practical needs required to sustain it. The same facilities that host summer camps, Bible school students, worship gatherings, and ministry events require electricity throughout the year. The campus currently uses a highly efficient heating system developed through a partnership with an Austrian company connected to Torchbearers. Even with these efficiencies, energy costs remain one of the ministry’s most significant ongoing expenses. At the same time, a unique opportunity has emerged. Ersekë receives the second-highest amount of sunlight in all of Albania. Recognizing the region’s potential, the Albanian government recently completed a $30 million solar installation project less than a mile from the Torchbearers campus.
Over the past year, Torchbearers Albania has worked closely with Nova Solar, a Christian solar energy company based in Albania, to explore how solar energy could serve the ministry’s future. Together, they developed plans to install solar panels on the roof of the recently completed main hall. At first glance, solar panels may seem far removed from ministry. They do not teach Bible classes. They do not lead worship services. They do not counsel students or preach the Gospel. Yet they represent something deeply important: faithful stewardship. Every dollar saved on electricity is a dollar that can be redirected toward ministry. Reduced operating expenses create greater capacity to host campers, train students, care for children, and invest in future leaders. The project is expected to pay for itself in just over four years, creating long-term savings that will directly support the mission of Torchbearers Albania for years to come. The total project cost is $60,000, spread across multiple phases. The initial installation requires $10,000, followed by payments of $20,000 and $30,000 over the next two years. The goal is to complete the project as quickly as possible, positioning the ministry for sustainable growth well into the future.
The investment may start in solar panels, but it will ripple into the thousands of young people who will continue arriving each summer. It is an investment in Bible school students preparing for lives of ministry. It is an investment in discipleship, leadership development, and Gospel proclamation throughout Albania. Perhaps nowhere is this more important than among Albania’s younger generation. One of the defining characteristics of modern Albanian culture is the widespread belief that religion functions primarily as a cultural identity rather than a personal conviction. Many young people identify as Muslim, Catholic, or Orthodox because of family history, even if they have little connection to the beliefs or practices of those traditions. The longstanding saying, “The religion of Albanians is Albanianism,” reflects a culture where national identity often carries greater significance than religious commitment. For many young Albanians, faith is simply another label inherited from previous generations. The Gospel offers something entirely different.
It invites people not merely to adopt a religious identity, but to encounter a living Savior whose presence transforms every aspect of life. Through camp ministry, discipleship, and biblical training, Torchbearers Albania continues helping young people discover that following Jesus is far more than a family tradition but a it is a life-changing relationship. As Torchbearers Albania celebrates twenty-five years of camping ministry and twenty years of Bible school training, there is much to thank God for. Thousands of young people have heard the Gospel. Future leaders are being equipped. Lives continue to be transformed. And under the bright Albanian sun, among the mountains of Ersekë, the work continues. One camper’s transformed life at a time. Through the faithful ministry of Eric and Kathy Gundy, and through the partnership of churches like Wheaton Bible Church that are committed to the Great Commission, the light of Christ continues to shine across Albania. What began with a vision and a willingness to serve has become a lasting testimony to God’s faithfulness, a reminder that when ministry is stewarded well, its impact can reach generations.
