Forging Partnerships for Albania’s Exciting New Transformation for Christ

For decades, Regent University has been touching lives and drawing in students from the far corners of the globe—even in the most unexpected of places.

Arjola Mullaj is one such student. Arriving in Virginia Beach in 2019 from Albania, a predominantly Muslim nation, Arjola desired a Christian university experience. She got just that at Regent, gaining acceptance into the Honor’s College in 2020 and serving in student leadership in Enactus, which focuses on serving others through entrepreneurship. Last spring, she graduated with a B.S. in business.

Since returning to Albania, Arjola has experienced God moving in unexpected ways firsthand, partnering with Robert Buchwalter, a businessman of true faith, to fill a gap in the market and support the launch of a new international olive oil business called the Black Horse Initiative. Albania’s mild Mediterranean climate makes it ideal for olive groves, and the small nation is becoming increasingly known for its olive oil’s unique flavor and variety.  

Despite Albania’s treasure trove of high-quality olive oil, access to global markets has been limited. The Black Horse Initiative aims to change that, sourcing olive oil straight from local Albanian farmers to ensure that every bottle is no less than 100% authentic.

“At The Black Horse Initiative, we’re reimagining the olive oil industry by focusing on what truly matters: the people behind the product. Our olive oil tells a deeper story—one of heritage, dedication, and community,” the Black Horse Imitative website reads.

Arjola serves as the Initiative’s Director of Public Relations and Marketing and helps to connect with the Regent community and support the growth of the new business. She credits the supersized impact Regent alumni have had on helping to increase religious freedom in Albania’s constitution, including a team of lawyers with Regent’s School of Law, laying the groundwork for initiatives like theirs to be possible.

“Their work has paved the way for initiatives like ours, which seek to lay a foundation for evangelizing Albania and building a brighter future for its people,” Arjola said.

“I remain deeply grateful for Regent University and its role in equipping alumni like me to make a difference,” she continued.

The importance of Albania’s transformative shift can’t be discounted, given the nation’s long history of communism and religious repression. At the height of brutal dictator Enver Hoxha’s rule in 1967, all forms of religious expression were forbidden. That ban remained in place until 1991 with the fall of the Soviet Union.

Increasingly, Regent law alums have made the journey overseas, standing up as stalwart defenders of the Christian faith, even in places where Christians have historically been targeted. Regent’s Center for Global Justice continues to support human rights advocacy around the world, including throughout Southeastern Europe.

Sam Scaggs is another Regent graduate whose work led him to the nation of snowcapped mountains and scenic beaches. Sam, who graduated with his M.A. in 2000 and is a published author, has worked tirelessly to lay the groundwork for a true revival in Albania ever since first stepping foot in the nation in the late 90s after being inspired by Dr. Howard Foltz.

“I took a team from my Virginia church and helped plant some of the very first churches in Tirana and Lezha,” he recalled, referring to the nation’s capital and one of its biggest cities.

During that time, he met Dini and Klementina Shahini, who were among the first to receive Christ and become baptized. Today, they serve as lead pastors and are directors of a Christian school called the Lezha Academic Center (LAC), which educates over 200 K-12 students.

When the nation’s civil war broke out, the couple relocated to the U.S. with their children, settling in Virginia Beach and further progressing in their faith alongside the Regent community. For his dedication, Dini was awarded “Employee of the Year.” Klementina earned a master’s degree in educational leadership. While at Regent, she got a vision from God to start a Christian school for excellence in her hometown.

“Dini and Klementina believed in and have proven that Albania’s deep value for education is the redemptive analogy in Albania,” Sam stated, referring to missionary and international speaker Don Richardson’s “redemptive analogy” concept used to convey how native beliefs in any given culture parallel the Holy Gospel.

Sam is now working on purchasing a campus in Albania already valued at $15 million to help expand the work the Shahinis are doing. The property, the church, and the K-12 program plan to offer vocational and Bible training, helping young Albanians leverage their God-given talents to advance the Kingdom in their nation and beyond.

“All of this grew from the seeds planted by Regent University, which the university later watered,” Sam recalled.

In the late 1960s, at the height of the country’s repressive communist rule, an Albanian was said to have escaped and settled in Brazil. His prophecy was that “the key to the fundamentalist Muslim world was Constantinople, and the key to Constantinople is Albania!”

“We believe that, and we are now training an entirely new generation of Albanians with the same mission—training ‘Christian Leadership to Change the World,’” Sam shared.

Together, he and the Shahinis are doing just that through the LAC, which is proud to be the only North American-style Christian school in Albania working to set a standard of high-quality education for students, based around a rigorous biblical worldview. LAC has also spearheaded several noteworthy projects, including one aimed at helping the Roma community, who face poverty and a lack of education.

As for Arjola, who has always had a strong connection to the land, her desire to use the practical business skills she gained at Regent has morphed into a calling—that of helping Albanian farmers share their olive oil with the world.

“Our mission is both simple and profound: to empower Albanian farmers by providing access to global markets, ensuring financial stability, and enabling them to remain in their homeland,” she stated, adding, “We aim to bring high-quality, certified organic extra virgin olive oil to consumers in the United States. This venture was birthed through prayer, and God’s fingerprints are evident in every step.”

The Black Horse Initiative’s team is set to release their first product in the U.S. market in the next few months. Information on the company can be found at www.blackhorseinitiative.com/.

Stay up to date on the happenings at Regent University School of Law’s Center for Global Justice at https://globaljustice.regent.edu/. Founded in 2010, the Center’s mission is to equip Christian advocates who will promote the rule of law and seek justice for the world’s downtrodden—the poor, the oppressed, and the enslaved—and to serve and support those already engaged in such advocacy. Its focus is on four key issues: advancing the rule of law, combatting human trafficking, protecting children, and securing religious freedom abroad.