Protestantism in Albania
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Evangelical Protestantism is one of five officially recognized faiths in Albania.[2] It is a Christian faith that views Jesus Christ as its founder and head, and the Bible (especially the New Testament) as its written authority.
Evangelical Protestantism in Albania | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | VUSH |
Classification | Evangelical Protestantism |
Theology | Biblicist |
Governance | Autonomous independent churches and organizations, but voluntarily cooperative |
Distinct fellowships | Baptist, Brethren, Assemblies of God, non-denominational groups, etc. |
Associations | Various regional associations |
Region | Albania, with partnerships in Kosovo and other Albanian regions |
Founder | Gjerasim Qiriazi[1] |
Origin | 1890 Manastir (present-day Bitola, Macedonia) (later in Korça, Albania) |
Congregations | approx. 200 |
Members | approx. 16000 |
Other name(s) | Albanian Evangelical Churches |
The US International Religious Freedom Report of 2022 noted that 38% of the population (just over a million people) have a Christian background.[3] There are 95 Christian groups in the country, 174 of which are evangelical. The number of Evangelical Protestants in Albania has risen from approximately 8000 in 1998,[4] to approximately 14,000 in the early 2020s.[5] However, in the 2011 census, 70% of respondents refused to declare belief in any of the listed faiths.[6]
Unlike other official religions in Albania, Evangelical Protestants are not organized under a hierarchy with an official head, but operate autonomously in separate churches or organizations bearing different denominational or non-denominational names. Most, but not all Evangelical/Protestant groups are members of the Albania's Evangelical Brotherhood (VUSH), a cooperative organization which views itself as existing as "an instrument of blessing … with the purpose of promoting unity amongst the churches, representing every local church with dignity, and promoting evangelism."[7]
Protestant denominations include Baptist, Lutheran and Anglican.[8][9][10]