Church Expansion Albania

History
A uniquely impacting event occurred in the summer of 1991 when Tom Lewellen met a young Albanian named Gregor Menga at a soup kitchen run by Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity in Athens, Greece. At that time, when Albania had just emerged from the most severe Communist dictatorship in history, Gregor was living illegally in Greece thinking only of finding freedom in a western country. The angels rejoiced when he came to faith in Christ and was baptized and discipled by a missionary who was working with immigrants in Athens. Against all of his original intentions, Gregor returned the next year to his hometown in Northern Albania to share his faith with his family and friends. 

140331 Menga Family.jpeg

A fruitful relationship has grown up through the years between Grace Church and the believers in Albania who have come to Christ through Gregor’s witness. Now, nearly twenty-five years later, Gregor and his wife Kela, whom he married in 1999, have planted two churches among people who had been cut off from the Christian gospel until the fall of Communism: 

  • Disciples of Jesus Church — Shkodër, Albania
  • Open Doors Evangelical Church—Gjilan, Kosovo

Ministry
Church Expansion Albania (CEA) is the name of a church-planting ministry of Grace Church among the Albanian populations in the Balkans. The ministry is led by Gregor Menga, an Albanian national who is presently living in Shkodër, Albania. The work is guided by the church’s World Ministries Team, of which Gregor Menga is an adjunct member. CEA functions under the leadership of the Grace Church Elder Team as a tax-exempt ministry under the church’s 501(c)(3) status. 
The purpose of CEA is identified as follows: 

By God’s grace and under his guidance, “Church Expansion Albania” seeks to start and develop cooperating, interdependent and multiplying churches among the Albanian people beginning in the Balkans and extending to other Albanian population centers in the world.  

Gregor and Markela Menga are commended (ordained) representatives of Grace Church. They are presently serving to make God's love known among the Albanian population in Tetovo, Macedonia.  

Information
For information about this ministry, or to ask questions, please contact Gregor Menga at:
Email: gkmenga@gmail.com
Skype: gregormenga
Facebook: Gregor Menga or Markela Menga

Giving to CEA:
Through this ministry, three workers are supported in addition to the ministry itself. Giving can be specified for: 

  • Gregor and Markela Menga — Pastoral and Church Planting
  • Edi and Bardha Gjoni — Pastoral and evangelistic ministry in Shkodër, Albania 
  • Paulin and Violeta Veleçiku — Pastoral and evangelistic ministry, Gjilan, Kosovo
  • Christian Expansion Albania — to be used by the board at their discretion for the expansion of this ministry and assistance of the churches. 

Checks may be made payable to “Grace Church” and sent to 220 Bogie Lake Road, White Lake, MI, 48383.  

Online giving with a debit or credit card can be by clicking the "donate" button bellow. Please designate one of the workers or CEA as the recipient of your support.  

Please note donations made to the workers are given in their entirety to the worker. No administrative costs or overhead costs are deducted from donations. Also, note that no other workers or churches may be supported through this ministry unless they have been officially adopted by Grace Church as part of the ministry of CEA.