Hardship for Evangelicals in Jordan: Lessons for All Christians | Christianity Today

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Hardship for Evangelicals in Jordan: Lessons for All Christians

The president of Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary on maintaining fruitful relationships with our neighbors.

Imad Shehadeh | posted 4/08/2008 08:49AM

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With Jordanian leadership, JETS has a 17-year track record of excellence in achievement, with reports of its progress and financial audits submitted regularly to the government. With its beautiful new campus currently under construction, and with its expanded programs, JETS strives to become a recognized institution of higher learning accredited by Jordan's Ministry of Higher Education. This would be following the example of other Arab countries where such theological institutions or programs exist, as in Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Sudan. It is very sad that a misunderstanding of JETS has limited the number of its students and faculty, resulting in a constant numerical decline. Yet we are confident that, correctly understood, JETS will be welcomed as a positive contribution to peace, stability, and exemplary equal opportunity, goals that His Majesty King Abdullah strives to achieve with his vision of "Jordan First." By God's grace, we are confident that the king will protect us.

Dr. Imad Shehadeh is founder and president of Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary in Amman.

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Allister

Posted: April 12, 2008 8:03 AM

The reality of modern Jordan is that many of the Christians don't know anything about the Bible even though they live in a land rich in Bible History. Imad's school is badly needed. I'll never forget a conversation with a bright Catholic Christian lady from Karak (ancient Moab) who marveled when I told her the story of Ruth - which she had never heard. Maybe the evangelicals haven't been stealing sheep but feeding the abandoned lambs.

Kevin K. W. Ng

Posted: April 12, 2008 1:52 AM

We in Malaysia have similar problems with subtle persecutions, such a disallowed practiced evangelisation especially to the Nationals (Sons of the Soil), so what choice have we to carry out the orders of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in this land?; when we can't speak about Jesus Christ to your Muslim friends and neighbours? We cant even play Christian music and hymns in the presence of Muslim guests for fear of offending them as we are told to be sensitive to their feelings especially when we talk about Allah which has been exclusively adopted by them as the name of our Almighty God even though throughout the planet Earth Allah is representative of God used by everyone.

Anthony

Posted: April 11, 2008 6:37 PM

I must agree with Thomas' statement above that :"...most evangelicals, ... are there to convert other Christians because they do not consider them Christians..." As a former "evangelical' protestant I know first hand that the main mission of the "churches" I attended for more than 20 years, is conversion of others. Any focus on personal growth or healing of one's soul is only a superficial 'fix' in order that the new "Christian" may be enabled to become an other "evangelist". The Lord Jesus Christ commanded that we make disciples not converts. Disciples following the teachings and examples of their Master, in order to learn to love God more than the self or this world. Making converts whose mission it is to make more converts serves no purpose other than to replace the empty pews vacated by those of us who finally saw the emptiness of the modern western "churches".

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