New Church Development in Egypt - October 2020 Update
Luxor: An Old Church is Destroyed…and a New One Arises
American Presbyterian missionaries came to Egypt in 1854. They sailed the Nile to share the Gospel, and in 1907 a Presbyterian Church was established in Luxor, the site of ancient pharaonic temples across the river from the Valley of the Kings.
For more than 112 years, this place was a witness for the Gospel and reached out to many villages around the city. In 2012, the Egyptian government decided to renovate the Avenue of the Sphinxes that joins Luxor Temple with Karnak Temple. That Avenue went underneath the Presbyterian church, part of the Presbyterian school, and some other nearby buildings and so the government ordered their removal.
The church in Luxor recognized the importance of this project for the Egyptian civilization and tourism, but, at the same time, they would need a new place for worship and ministry if the old one was to be destroyed. After many years of negotiations, under the leadership of the pastor, Rev. Mahroos Karam, they came to an agreement that the government would build a new church building in another section of the city. It took about five years to finish the building. In September, the church in Luxor moved to the new location which has a modern sanctuary, offices, and rooms for Sunday School.
Although the church passed through this major transition, God is still at work in the church! The Presbyterian Church in Luxor has wonderful ministry outside itself including church planting - it is in the midst of planting three other churches! It is helping many families in their spiritual life through a ministry of teaching and discipleship and has weekly meetings for young people, children, women, and others. The church is equipping members to be a living witness for Jesus and the Gospel message.
Rev. Mahroos is one of the pastors who serve the Lord with limited resources but with great faith. Please pray for the three new churches and for funds needed to complete the buildings. Pray for Rev. Mahroos, an Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo graduate, and his family as they serve in their faithful ministry.
Grace and peace,
Dr. Tharwat Wahba
Egypt Mission Consultant for The Outreach Foundation
Professor of Mission, Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo
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.
Read more about New Church Development in Egypt HERE.
THE NEED
The Outreach Foundation is seeking $7,000 a month to support the planting/revitalization of Presbyterian churches in Egypt. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.