“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” Matthew 28:19-20 (HCSB). Over 27 years ago, Guyanese Pastor Cleon Justin Alleyne, embracing this scriptural text, responded to God’s call to serve as a missionary in a “strange land,” called Albania.
Conversion and Early Christian Life
Cleon Justin Alleyne was born to Claude Alleyne and the late Eileen Patricia Williamson-Alleyne and grew up in Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, Guyana. He initially attended a Presbyterian Church, but during a visit to the Stanleytown Full Gospel Church, at the tender age of thirteen, he heard the gospel for the first time, repented, got saved and started his walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. As a young man, though Cleon Alleyne had a passion for evangelism, he did not envisage being in full-time ministry or a missionary. Instead, he just wanted to be a Christian who loved God and raise a family in Guyana.
He recalled during his tenure at the Government Technical Institute, a friend introduced him to Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and indicated the organisation was looking for volunteers to support ministry to children living on the streets. In 1994, he offered to support YWAM for a few months, was tremendously impacted by the missionary stories, answered God’s call to the missions field, and began his journey to becoming a missionary.
Testimony of God’s Promise Fulfilled
Subsequent studies at the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Training School in Barbados facilitated his development and reinforced God’s call on his life. Reflecting on that period of his life, Cleon Alleyne shared a powerful testimony of how when the promises of men failed, God provided for and sustained him during his studies, and confirmed he was called to be a missionary.
Notwithstanding the challenges, Cleon Alleyne returned to Guyana where he shared with YWAM’s leadership his “epiphany to serve as a missionary,” joined the organisation, and served for eighteen months.
He later returned to YWAM Barbados for additional training on ‘Culture’ at the School of Frontier Mission. Upon its completion, he was assigned on a two-year outreach to Albania. Cleon Alleyne stated, “I wanted to reach the unreached [by] taking the Gospel of Christ to people and to places that have never received it.” During this period, his mother was very ill and hospitalised, and many people who had never heard about Albania thought he was crazy to go to this ‘unknown country.’ Nevertheless, he took a step of faith and journeyed there.
Missionary Life in Albania
In 1991, Albania relinquished communism, and people were hungry for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their capital city is Tirana, and the country is located in Southeast Europe. Neighbouring countries include Greece, Macedonia, and Kosovo. Albanians refer to their country as ‘Shqipëria,’ and their language as ‘shqipe.’
In October 1998, Cleon Alleyne arrived in North Macedonia (Albania) and according to him, moving to Albania was culturally unorthodox. At that time the civil war was ending but everyone seemed to be fighting against each other. Additionally, there were linguistic, ethnic and environmental challenges.
Plans to change Albania by hosting many crusades and establishing many churches proved difficult. Minister Alleyne struggled to learn the language within the stipulated six-month period, was frequently ill due to inadequate living standards, and changes in climate and food, and found the considerable use of guns and ammunition alarming. Nonetheless, he persevered. Looking back, he pointed out, “These experiences made me depend on God; you would never leave the house without praying because you need God’s protection; out of desperation you depend on God, you just need God.”
At the end of the first two years in Albania, Minister Alleyne was ordained a Pastor. He returned to Guyana and shared with family his decision to remain in Albania, and raise funds for missionary activities.
Missionary Initiatives
Reflecting on the 21 years of his missionary journey in Albania, Pastor Alleyne believes God used him to establish several innovative approaches to win the lost. Pastor Alleyne disclosed, “unlike Guyana’s mass evangelism activities, one-on-one social and educational activities are among the most successful methods of evangelism in Albania. Though time-consuming, relationship building through small groups, has proven to be impactful and enduring.”
Although he humbly acknowledged missionary initiatives were consistently implemented as a team, God used Pastor Alleyne to pioneer ingenious missions activities. These included teaching English Language classes at schools and sharing stories about good morals as mechanisms for sharing the gospel, and planting churches run by local Albanians. He assisted in starting coffee houses, where free coffee is available and the gospel is shared. Pastor Alleyne reported the coffee ministry yielded the most souls. Additionally, Pastor Alleyne actively supports YWAM Discipleship Training Schools (DTS), which offers 5-6 months of training to leaders; implementation of the Alpha course; showing the Jesus movie in villages; hosting youth camps; and counseling and mentoring. Through these initiatives, hundreds of lives have been impacted, and some are now church leaders.
Further, Pastor Alleyne revealed he uses ‘blogging as a missionary tool.’ He firmly believes, “Every Christian is called to be a world-changer but no Christian can change the world on their own! The Great Commission is about partnership, a partnership in which the body of Christ has a vital place.” He indicated this can be achieved by winning one soul at a time, with each person contributing through areas such as prayers, donations, and giving of themselves.
Balancing Missionary and Family Commitments
In October 2019, Finland became the home base for Pastor Alleyne and his family. Currently, ministry is facilitated in the Balkans area (countries around Albania) and involves mainly counseling and mentoring of youth. Pastor Alleyne acknowledged that balancing missionary and family commitments is one of his biggest struggles. He finds this particularly challenging since he is a workaholic, and very passionate about missionary work. For him, being a missionary is much more than just a job or title, “It’s a calling. It’s my hobby.” Additionally, most youth ministry activities are conducted during the evening and require him to be away from home generally three evenings per week, and sometimes very late.
Nevertheless, as a husband and father of two young children, Pastor Alleyne indicated he tries to take at least one day off each week, and spend quality time with his family. He also divulged that he actively works on establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries, and where possible enjoys his family accompanying him to ministry events, such as youth camps.
Considerations for Budding Missionaries
According to Pastor Alleyne, “to be a missionary, make sure you hear from God and garner approval from your local Pastor for accountability, support, encouragement and blessings.” Looking back, he recalled stepping out before he received the blessings of his Pastor because he was deeply convinced God called him. However, his experiences helped him to recognise the importance of receiving the blessings of his Pastor. He cautioned, even if the Pastor does not agree right away, prayerfully wait for the time to come. Rather than being a lone ranger on the missions field, the active support of the local church makes a significant difference.
