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Letter from the Founder of the CCL, Nathan Graves

One afternoon, after completing a day’s work at the CCL, I began walking to my home about a mile away, accompanied by an Albanian friend. My friend knew a shortcut, so we began walking down some side roads hoping to cut the walking distance considerably. Turning right just outside the door of the CCL building, we walked about a block and turned down a little alley. A little ways further, my friend pointed out to me on old, broken down building that was partly encircled by a crumbling brick wall. It was an especially crude structure that didn’t have much hope of ever being reconstructed. I would have never known that that building was of any significance until my friend said to me, “Did you know that this is the place where the communist party was founded in Albania by Envor Hoxha and Ramis Alia?”

I stood there in disbelief. Here, just a couple of blocks from the CCL stood the building where a few men met together and founded a party that would bring about an era of atheism—none like any nation had ever known, and untold disaster for so many people. Looking back in the direction of the CCL it hit me: “No man, no matter how great, no system, no matter how strong, no ideology, no matter how lofty, can ever subvert the purposes of God for a nation.”

That building, crumbling and empty stood as a monument to a dead and worthless vision. Yet two blocks away, God had raised up another building which stood for Truth and righteousness and a vision that would help lead the nation of Albania out of darkness into the light of Christ.

The Center for Christian Leadership is not just another ministry. It is a movement of God to a nation at a strategic time in history. One day, in the future, a young Christian man and woman will be walking with a young child and will point to a structure. He will say to his son, “Son there is the place where an undying movement of God began in the heart of this great nation of ours and we are living proof of its legacy.” That place will be the Center for Christian Leadership.

I would like to encourage you to become a vital part of the great work God is doing through the CCL. The dedicated men and women who labor there for the glory of God need your prayers. The school is also in need of financial support as well. Please consider being a part of God's blessing to a nation through the CCL.

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Brief History of the CCL

In the spring of 1995 Nathan Graves began a church planting work in the town of Krrabë in the country of Albania. It was a brand new experience for a brand new missionary. However, he saw God bless in numerous ways as several adults and children came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Early on in the work, he met an Albanian couple from the capital of Tirana who were burdened to reach their own people for Christ. Realizing he had numerous obstacles in terms of understanding the culture and the language, he invited this couple to help him. As time passed, other expatriates also joined the work in Krrabë. Yet, after two years, the team agreed that the Albanian coworkers were the key element God used to make the project a success. The Albanian's understanding of their own people gave them advantages that the expatriate team members could only dream of.

The Bible Church of Krrabe (Kisha Biblike e Krrabes).

Early in 1996 the vision of a Center for Christian Leadership (CCL) emerged for Nathan. The training center, working hand in hand with local churches, would equip and send Albanian team members into unevangelized locations. They would not only help plant churches, but would also help equip the local church leadership. Although they could assist the original team and multiply its effectiveness, this was but a fraction of the goal. Eventually, both the church planting and the leadership training would be turned over to the Albanians. Some of the Albanian church planters would move on to begin churches in other countries The Center of Christian Leadership would, in effect, promote the concept of foreign missions as a ministry of the Albanian church. The original team's goal of establishing churches throughout the Balkans would be a reality.

Entrance to the Center for Christian Leadership in Tirane, Albania. Below the window with the blue drapes, you can see the tops of olive trees that are within the small courtyard. Creeping over the wall just to the right of the front door you can see part of our grape arbor.

By October of 1998 the team was in the final planning stages of CCL. It would focus on equipping leaders both academically and interactively — by involving them in the church planting process. The first semester began in September, 1999 with 5 students who graduated in 2001. God has provided wonderfully since then with 8 students for our next class and 6 students for each of the classes since then. Along the way we have welcomed new staff members and new team members, weathered crises such as the refugee crisis in 1999 and 9/11 in 2001, modified our curriculim and class offerings, and learned a lot about what it means to equip leaders in the Balkans in the 21st century.

Our growth and development have outstripped our resources to some extent, leaving us in the uncomfortable but good position of depending solely on God. We are actively looking for additional staff (teaching, mentoring, administrative, etc.) and additional funding.

This web site provides you with information on the aspects and needs of the school. Please read them carefully and prayerfully, asking God how you might become a partner with us.

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