Jeff Bartell

Jeff currently serves as the pastor of missions and education at First Baptist Church in New Philadelphia, Ohio. He was previously the senior pastor from 2008-2021, and before that a career missionary in Albania from 1992-2006. Jeff was trained for ministry through the ministry and Bible institute of his local church, Decatur Baptist Church in Decatur, Alabama. Jeff is married to Erla, an Albanian national, and they have two adult daughters.

A Quick History:

In the summer of 1992, shortly after the fall of Communism in Albania, Jeff visited Albania with a group from his home church in Decatur, Alabama. During that trip, many Albanians got saved, but there was no existing biblical local church where these new believers could go and grow in their faith. It was under these circumstances that God called Jeff to be a missionary to Albania. The need was great and urgent. Decatur Baptist Church made it possible for Jeff to settle his personal affairs quickly and return to Albania permanently just 6 weeks after that initial trip. By the beginning of September 1992, Jeff was permanently living in the capital city of Tirana.

Jeff immediately started church services in a state-run orphanage, and via translation, continued daily evangelism and discipleship of those that got saved. His translator, Erla, a college student in the English language faculty, worked with Jeff daily, translating the gospel and Bible lessons to the new believers. After one year of working together, Jeff and Erla married, and continued their church-planting ministry.

The interest was great in those early years, and the Tirana Bible Baptist Church experienced rapid growth. With personal discipleship and deeper expositional bible teaching on a regular basis, the new, young believers continued to grow in their faith and soon began to take roles of leadership in the church. In 2004 we had the privilege of starting a second church in the second largest city of Durres, Albania. That church also continues to grow and reach out to their surrounding area to this day.

Through the years, and amidst some severe circumstances including a civil war in Albania and the war in neighboring Kosovo, God refined and grew His church in Albania. Jeff and Erla served the Tirana Bible Baptist Church from 1992 – 2006, at which time they turned over the leadership to the current pastor.

After leaving Albania, Jeff has continued to stay involved in the ever-growing ministry of the Albanians, making annual visits and participating in many ministry activities. As a result, Jeff is intimately familiar with all the various ministries represented on this website and is available to come and speak at your church or event on behalf of these continuing ministries.

If you would like to know more about any of these ministries, you can contact Jeff at (albania.reach@firstbaptist.church), or by calling First Baptist Church of New Philadelphia (www.firstbaptist.church).