New Church Development in Egypt — November 2022 Update
Lighthouses
Sharona Island is a medium-sized village in Upper Egypt that is actually an island in the Nile River. With a majority Christian population, the Presbyterian Church was established in 1898. The ministry of this church grew rapidly in recent years under the leadership of Rev. Mahrous Ayed, a graduate of the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo (ETSC), an Outreach partner. When he started his ministry on Sharona Island, God gave him a vision to expand the ministry of the church to include the whole village. He started a preschool nursery in 2004 with 66 kids. This preschool now has 705 children. Many of the early graduates of this preschool have become teachers in the same nursery.
The church recognized the importance of quality education as public schools don't give this kind of education. Accordingly, the church established an educational center to help develop good students. It started with 56 students and now they have 1,700. As a result of the quality education, many of the students are able to enroll in prestigious colleges in Egypt. This ministry made a paradigm shift in the sociological, economical, and educational life of the whole village. Through education, the church serves both Christians and Muslims, which makes the church a place for all.
Besides education, the church is taking care of 150 handicapped persons — the church supports their spiritual, financial, and medical needs. They also help 160 widows who are taking care of their own families, offering them pastoral, health, and educational services. A microloan program assists families in need with setting up small businesses.
The church, of course, doesn’t neglect its spiritual ministry to people in the village. There are many small groups for discipleship and Bible study. The church has a youth ministry that serves 600 children and a middle school meeting that has 200 students. The membership of this church grew to 600 with an annual steady increase.
The churches in the Egyptian villages are lighthouses to expand God's love and merciful hand. They have many methods to spread the Good News to all people. Please pray for the villages of Egypt and the role of the church in these challenging places, that the church will be a place of refuge, love, and an encounter with the living Jesus.
Dr. Tharwat Wahba
Outreach Egypt Mission Consultant
Professor of Mission, ETSC
The Outreach Foundation works closely with the Pastoral and Outreach Ministries Council of the Synod of the Nile which has identified three areas God is calling the church to pursue outreach: 1) revitalization of village churches, some centuries old and primarily in Upper Egypt 2) planting new churches in urban suburbs and 3) planting churches in the new “satellite” cities. The Council works closely with the ETSC which is producing excellent students who are called and equipped for ministry in a remarkable season for the church’s mission.
Read more about New Church Development in Egypt HERE.
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. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.