New Church Development in Egypt - July 2020 Update
Into the fields: Egyptian pastors visit their people in fields
One of the most difficult challenges that many pastors face in Egypt during this COVID-19 crisis is how to communicate with their people. In villages, the church IS the center of the social and spiritual life of the people. But now they are not allowed to go to church because of restrictions on social distancing. In many villages, the churches used to have meetings almost every night. People came from their farms by sunset, had a meal, and then went to church where they spent the night singing and listening to God's word. Now they cannot go to the church and they cannot enjoy worshiping together. In the village of Manshat el Dahab a young pastor, Rev. Medhat Mourice, who has served in his church for about five years decided to find a creative way to communicate with his people. Many of the people in this church can access the internet; however, the young pastor also manages to visit members in their fields. He organizes Bible study groups and has singing with his people. He is encouraging them and praying with them so as to overcome the difficulties of these days. Rev. Medhat is active in evangelism and planted a new church in another section of his village without the help of any other body but his own local church. They planted the new church and they built a new building and now they are worshiping in the new building. His church loves and admires his ministry among them. Rev. Medhat is one of the pastors who distributes boxes of food for people who are in need in his village through the initiative of the Synod of the Nile. He is also active in Minya Presbytery where he hosted Lebanese Presbyterian scholar Rev. Suheil Saoud, who visited Egypt last year and gave a lecture in Minya about his book on the Reformation. Medhat and his wife, Nadra, who finished her masters at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo this year, are doing great ministry, spreading the Good News in their village.
I will build my church (Matthew 16:18)
In Egypt, for many decades, there were restrictions on church buildings or renovation. It took many years for our churches to receive a license from the government to rebuild churches. In one of the small towns north of Assiut, called Manfalut, there is a church that was built about 125 years ago. The church building had an old sanctuary and pastor’s housing. This church was without a pastor for about 40 years because of the internal migration and lack of finances. Five years ago, a young pastor, Rev. Camille Mourice, was sent there and found very sad circumstances: few families were left in the church and there were no activities in the church or out in the community. Gifted in children’s ministry, he began to organize activities for the kids of the church. Through this, he managed to visit these kids’ families and they began to return to the church. Camille organized medical campaigns, with the help of bigger churches in Cairo and Assiut, to serve the needs of the community, and others came to the church. But the old building was dangerous – they needed to rebuild. Camille was able to get a license for rebuilding his church by working hard in many government offices. He also raised the necessary funds from local people to start rebuilding. Although facing the crisis of COVID-19, the church continues to rebuild. In Egypt, the church building is not only for worship but also for serving the needs of the whole community. Most of the churches in Egypt have clinics, kindergartens as well as vocational training, and/or micro-projects for the whole community. This church is “getting alive again” in its ministry and its witness for the Gospel. Rev. Camille, with his family, is a great example of a young pastor who is working in very hard situations using his gifts to rebuild the church spiritually and physically. They need our prayers!
Grace and peace,
Tharwat
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.