Arvid Gogaj is a pastor in Albania.
When did you trust Christ?
I trusted in Jesus at the end of 1993 when I came in contact with some French missionaries who were distributing Bibles in our area. Once I went to church and started reading the Bible, I had many questions and started discussing them with the pastor. Once convinced that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, I decided to follow Him.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
One of the defining moments in my Christian walk was my involvement with the Elderly People's Home. I was just 17 years old, among several older men and women. Some of them would even sleep during our services, and some would not understand everything I was saying. Yet somehow, I felt that this was a great school of life to understand God's heart and the need to evangelise. Attending a Bible school also impacted my life. Later, I led the whole refugee ministry in our hometown, leading a church of 30 people to serve a group of about 5,000 refugees. That was indeed a miraculous act of God! Also, pastoring a relatively large church for nearly ten years left a significant mark in my life, which helped me to grow more into what God wants me to be.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I want to return to the Forum because it's a great and healthy platform of biblical teaching, fruitful networking amongst Evangelical leaders, and a possibility to learn from experienced and proven servants of the Gospel. Through previous participation in the Forum, I have learned principles of preaching better and new ways of reviving the church. I have also learned to fall in love with the Word of God. ELF is a great networking and wonderful resourcing place.
What is your ministry?
I pastor a church and am also the leader of a network of churches in my country. Besides preaching, making disciples, and helping train young people for the ministry, I am also the head of a church planting team; we have planted three local churches. I also assist with the Albanian Leadership Forum.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I was an assistant pastor. Then, I was a missionary for two years in Kosovo, where I helped start a church after the war in that country. Then, I was a pastor for ten years at Disciples of Jesus Church. I planted a church in a village close to our town. I was also sent as a missionary to plant a church among Muslim Albanians in Macedonia.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
The Forum is a unique way to get together and learn that we are not alone in what we go through. Learning from each other's experiences is enriching, especially in not repeating mistakes others have made. As iron sharpens iron, we can sharpen each other to become more efficient for the Kingdom of God.
