New Church Development in Egypt - Update
A New Church Begets a New Church!
The population of Egypt is more than 100 million people, making it the 14th most populous country in the world. The phenomena of internal migration opened many doors for God’s work as thousands of families began moving to megacities like Cairo and Alexandria. As a result, the need for new churches continues to grow. The Egyptian government will give land for churches in new cities but the building must begin within 3 years or the land will revert to the government. This is both an exciting opportunity and a big challenge! In previous eras, churches had a very difficult time obtaining permits to build, or even to make minor repairs. Thus, this season is a “golden window” that the Church in Egypt is trying to take advantage of while it lasts.
The 6 October City (named after a historic event in Egypt’s modern history) was established in the 1980s, near the pyramids, as one of the first “satellite cities” on the outskirts of Cairo to cope with rapid population growth. It currently has 1.5 million people, and the government anticipates that it will grow to between 5 and 6 million when it is complete. It has a ‘young’ population, with many families as well as students.
Church work in this city began in 1993, the result of a visionary pastor near the pyramids who had a heart for church planting. For 10 years, the ministry was limited to home visits and small groups, but in 2003, property was purchased (not donated by the government). Once a building was constructed, the church grew rapidly. It’s important to understand that in Egyptian culture, it’s important for a church to have an actual building, not just to meet in homes.
By 2006, the church was fully organized with its own pastor and session. Pastor Tharwat Samir graduated from Cairo Seminary (ETSC) in 2000 and went on to serve the church in 2009. The church has grown along with the city. People come from long distances to attend the church, and transportation options are slow and expensive.
But now, the government is giving the Synod of the Nile 10,000 square feet of land in a newer area of the city that Pastor Tharwat Samir has been reaching out to, through home visits and small group gatherings! They hope to finish the licensing paperwork in six months and begin to build. They have a great desire to serve students, which is why they hired Amen Magdy, a recent graduate from ETSC. The hope is to have enough support soon to start the church building to serve the current tens of families and the potential hundreds of families in the next few years. God can do this!
Please pray for the ministry of the church in 6th of October. Pray for Rev. Samir and Amin Magdy in their vision to build a new church.
Dr. Tharwat Wahba
Egypt Mission Consultant for The Outreach Foundation
Professor of Mission, Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo
Read more about New Church Development in Egypt HERE.
The Outreach Foundation works closely with the Pastoral and Outreach Ministries Council of the Synod of the Nile which has identified three areas in which God is calling the church to pursue outreach:1) revitalization of village churches, some of them centuries old and primarily in Upper Egypt, 2) planting new churches in urban suburbs, and 3) planting new churches in the new “satellite” cities. The Council works very closely with the seminary in Cairo which is producing excellent students who are called and equipped for ministry in a remarkable season for the church’s mission.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts to support the mission and ministry of New Church Development in Egypt. All gifts of any size are welcomed to help support the planting/revitalization of Presbyterian churches in Egypt. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.
A RETURN JOURNEY TO EGYPT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 18-26, 2022. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CAROL DUBLIN CAROL@THEOUTREACHFOUNDATION.ORG.