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Nearly 15 million Christians make their home in the Middle East, with some two-thirds of that number in Egypt alone. American Christians may think of Middle Eastern churches as recent missionary plants. But there have been churches in the Middle East for as long as there have been churches. Not only have Christians been a continuous presence in the Middle East, they have also been devoted to evangelism and missionary endeavors.

During a recent conference on Christians in the Middle East, sponsored by Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding (EMEU), CT's executive editor, David Neff, gathered four leaders active in the life of the Middle East church to discuss the progress of missions, East-West relations, and the role of the church in the Middle East's future. Participating in the discussion were Wafik Wahbah, a Presbyterian pastor from Cairo; Jean Bouchebl, a Lebanon-based field director for World Vision International; Mitri Raheb, a Palestinian Lutheran pastor from Bethlehem; and American Ray Bakke, executive director of International Urban Associates and founder and chair of Emeu.

MIDDLE EASTERN CHURCHES ARE NOT OFTEN THOUGHT OF AS BEING MISSIONARY MINDED. GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF EVANGELISTIC WORK STEMMING FROM YOUR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES.

Wahbah: The Coptic church—the original church of Egypt that was founded during the first three centuries of Christianity—has a strong history of evangelism. According to Coptic tradition, the church was started by Saint Mark and was composed of various Jewish communities. Eventually, it converted members of the Egyptian population. From there, it reached out to other parts of the Middle East—particularly Ethiopia. Later on, the church became separated by political and theological conflicts. But during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, through the renewal of the church and the centrality of the Bible in the church's life and ministry, Egyptian Christians began to regain a vision for being a missionary church inside of Egypt.

Bouchebl: Lebanon has always been a country of refuge for Christians who have been persecuted in the Middle East. As a result, today we see a beautiful mosaic of church groups—Orthodox, Catholic, evangelical Protestant. During Lebanon's civil war, many Christians had to go out into the Gulf States to find employment. However, they didn't go only for the sake of improving their economy; they also went to carry the mission of Christ to the non-Christians.

Raheb: There is a type of missionary outreach typical to Palestine that is not often considered. Palestine is the land with the historic holy sites, where Christians from all over the world come, seeking to draw closer to God. Our land, therefore, becomes not only a mission field to heathens but also to these pilgrims who come to Palestine looking for a special religious experience. So, in addition to evangelizing the unbeliever, we are now stressing the need to minister to these spiritual pilgrims—that they might experience the love of God in their Palestinian brothers and sisters.

IN PALESTINE, AS WELL AS IN OTHER MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES, THERE IS A DWINDLING CHRISTIAN POPULATION. HOW IS THIS AFFECTING THE CHURCH'S WORK IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

Raheb: The problem of Christian emigration is terrifying for the whole Christian community in the Middle East, but especially for Palestine. Last year we published the most detailed study on this subject—120 pages. What we found is that this problem could make the Holy Land a so-called Christian Disneyland, with nice, old churches where groups can come and wander, but without any real, living community. The Holy Land will lose its soul and sense of significance if there are no Christians there. Therefore, one of our main objectives presently is to encourage young people to come back and work in Palestine in the mission of the church.

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October 2 1995, Vol. 39, No. 11