Restoring Bitaj Church

For more than a decade, the Way of Peace Church has served faithfully in the village of Bitaj, Albania — preaching the Gospel, discipling new believers, and caring for those who are poor, vulnerable, and hurting. The church building has long been a spiritual home for many families, a place where lives have been healed, strengthened, and transformed by the love of Christ.

Sadly, after years of wear, humidity, and structural damage, the building became dangerously unstable. Cracks appeared in the walls and ceiling, and during heavy rain sections of plaster fell, putting our congregation at real risk. To avoid closing the church — and leaving this already vulnerable community without a place to gather for worship, discipleship, and support — urgent repairs were essential. Strengthening the foundations and stabilising the walls became a priority we could not ignore.

Bitaj is a village marked by deep poverty, and the church family here is unable to cover the full financial cost of the repairs. Yet their commitment has been remarkable. Believers from both Bitaj and the sister Way of Peace Church in Lushnje have offered their time, skills, and labour wherever possible. The Lushnje church also covered the cost of the initial structural assessments. All interior repairs and decoration have been carried out by church members and funded through church offerings. In addition, the church council has pledged 80% of all tithes and offerings — around €300 per month — towards the reconstruction for as long as needed.

A local construction company agreed to complete the urgent exterior work in November 2025, even knowing the church was unable to pay the full €20,000 cost upfront. As a church, we are committed to honouring the agreement through ongoing payments, but our desire is to clear this debt as soon as possible so that the work of ministry can continue unhindered.

We believe God has called us to restore His house so it may continue to shine as a place of hope, truth, and compassion in this region. This project is about more than repairing a building; it is about strengthening faith, deepening unity, and multiplying the witness of Christ among the people of Bitaj.

Today, we invite you to partner with us — to stand together in prayer, and to consider contributing financially to help secure the future of this ministry. Your partnership will ensure that the Way of Peace Church can continue to be a place where the Gospel is preached, the broken find healing, and whole families encounter the transforming grace of God.

“Let us rise up and build!” (Nehemiah 2:18)
“Go up to the mountains, bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified.” (Haggai 1:8)