The flag of Albania (Albanian: Flamuri i Republikës së Shqipërisë) is a red flag with a silhouetted black double-headed eagle in the center. The red stands for bravery, strength, valour and bloodshed for having a free country, while the Eagle represents the sovereign state of Albania and also Albania is called as "the land of eagles". The flag was established as the national flag of Albania when the country gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. 

Our language is Albanian language (Shqip), it is an original language. No other country in the entire world has has a language similar to Albanian.  

Bringing the message of salvation to this part of the world dominated by Islam has been a tremendous challenge for centuries, but the shepherd heart of God continually seeks to gather His lost sheep from other folds. God has uniquely positioned Albania to play a significant role in reaching this fold for Christ.

In the European context Albania stands out as one of – if not the most – responsive countries in Europe to the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Communism

Albania-World’s First Officially Atheist State in 1967! 

After World War II, for 45 years Albania sat in deafening isolation under the iron fist of Europe’s purest form of communism. The dictator, Enver Hoxha, had ruled Albania’s people and had introduced the world’s first officially atheistic state in 1967. Faith in God was totally forbidden. Communism finally fell in 1991.

Spiritual Revival

In 1991 it took a group of courageous and visionary students to bring this wall down and open the doors to freedom. After over 40 years of strict atheistic communism, there were only 16 known Christian believers in the entire country.

Missionaries poured into the country, and the gospel spread like wildfire throughout Albania, similar to the beginnings of the early church as described in the book of Acts.

In 1992, Cru sent its first group of staff and students from North America to Albania. They were met by spiritually hungry young men and women who were filled with questions about God, Jesus Christ and the Bible. Within a year, hundreds of students had placed their faith in Jesus Christ and joined Bible studies in their dormitories.

As a result of this work by the fall of 1995, the first 7 Albanians had joined the full-time staff of Cru.

In the European context Albania stands out as one of – if not the most – responsive countries in Europe to the Good News of Jesus Christ. In total, there are presently 117 Albanian CRU staff serving in 6 different countries, employing a variety of ministry strategies.