Frontiers, Inc., is contending with crises at home and abroad—the resignation of five members of its U.S. board and the arrest of its missionaries in Egypt.
The U.S. board of directors of Frontiers—a missionary agency devoted to evangelizing the Muslim world—resigned on February 25, leaving only founder Greg Livingstone to run things. Former chairman Phil Elkins of Altadena, California, says board members quit over a leadership squabble with Livingstone and the international board, based in London. A new board took over on March 8, with Richard D. Love as U.S. director.
“There has been a stripping away of the ability of the U.S. board to function with any level of authority,” Elkins says. “We felt like we had reached the point where any decisions we made could be voided.” Elkins says the U.S. board has become advisory rather than autonomous in nature. According to Elkins, Livingstone forced the resignation of U.S. director Keith Butler over the “clear objection” of the U.S. board.
Livingstone acknowledges a “paradigm shift” in policy when the international and U.S. headquarters of the 11-year-old organization divided in 1991. He says the U.S. board continues to have fiduciary responsibility, but overall direction must come from the international board.
Missionaries arrested
Only four days before the resignations, Egyptian Security Police arrested three Americans, a New Zealander, and an Egyptian for reportedly forming a secret Christian “missionary organization.” A trial for the five was tentatively set for late April.
Americans Robert M. Cunningham, Brian K. Eckheart, and Richard P. Dugan; New Zealander Thomas A. Martin; and Egyptian Abdul-Hamid Adil-Masah were placed in Tura Prison in Cairo. Wives of the American detainees initially indicated that charges would include “disparaging Islam” and “proselytizing.”
The Americans are employees of Industrial Systems and Components. Cunningham, 36, Eckheart, 35, and Dugan, 27, were working legally for the export management company while also serving as missionaries for Frontiers, according to Livingstone.
Livingstone says the arrests stem from 35 Muslims being baptized as Christians in Cairo churches just before Ramadān, the month of daylight fasting by Muslims. “They told Muslims that Jesus was the only way to go,” Livingstone says. “When people start getting baptized, all hell breaks loose, especially during Ramadān.”
Freedom of religion is guaranteed in the Egyptian constitution; however, “conversion of Muslims” and “disparaging Islam” are forbidden. The five men are being held under suspicion of “exploiting religion to debase Islam and to foment sectarian sedition.”
Frontiers has 310 missionaries in the field, representing nine denominations.
By John W. Kennedy. with reports from News Network International.
