Book Debut with the Gospel Brotherhood of Albania

On October 23, 2016—on the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Korça Girls’ School—the Albanian Evangelical Brotherhood (VUSH) hosted an evening of remembrance entitled “Gospel, Education, Culture.” The evening began a year of jubilee for VUSH and for Evangelical churches in Albania, as they celebrate some of the events also being highlighted by the IAPS. VUSH invited the IAPS to debut its first three books for the event and the IAPS provided free copies to VUSH to give as gifts to invited speakers and to the distinguished guests including pastors, educational and government leaders, and representatives of other Albanian religious communities. The event included the following elements:

• Speeches from the VUSH president (Ylli Doçi) and general secretary (Ergest Biti).
• A mini-documentary about Sevasti Qiriazi.
• A speech from Prof. Xhevat Lloshi about the role of Evangelicals in Albanian education.
• Brief speeches from David Hosaflook and Teuta Toska, members of the IAPS executive committee.
• The reading of greetings from the Prime Minister of Albania and from the director of the British Bible Society.
• Clips from the classic 1979 film “Mësonjëtorja” about Sevasti Qiriazi (“Dafina”) and early Albanian education.
• An emotional speech from Roza Anagnosti, who played the role of Sevasti Qiriazi in “Mësonjëtorja.”
• A children’s choir singing (and leading the audience in singing) the Albanian alphabet hymn written by Parashqevi Qiriazi.
• The presentation of the IAPS’s first three books.
• An artistic reading from Sevasti’s memoirs by Jonida Vogli, director of the Tirana Cultural Center and Metropol Theatre.