An oasis is thriving in the sandy desert city of Mahboula, Kuwait. Once a barren and dusty building with a congregation of 50, the Evangelical Church of Kuwait now attracts more than 15,000 people—from 42 different nationalities—each week. All but about 40 of the 15,000 churchgoers are from foreign countries.
There are 2,000 English-language congregants, and two-thirds are from the Philippines and India. Ten English-language services are held each week, most on Friday, Islam's holy day.
Forty-five congregations share the facilities, and the fully booked training seminars, workshops, and services that are held regularly are a testament to the increasing popularity as well as toleration of Christianity in this strict Islamic society.
Kuwait is a country where alcohol is prohibited, women are still not permitted to vote, and mosques, built every one-square kilometer, call the faithful to prayer six times a day.
The country has 13 churches, though only four—the Evangelical, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Roman Orthodox—are recognized by the government.
Gerry Zandstra, who has been senior pastor with the English-language Evangelical Church for 15 years, knows the congregation will always be made up mostly of expatriates. Converting Muslims to Christianity is against Islamic law.
Most of the 40 Kuwaiti Christians have been born into the faith, but a few Muslims were converted secretly after saying they had dreams or visions.
With a large expatriate community, many of whom have come from much poorer countries in hopes of making enough money to send home to family members, the Evangelical Church has found that it has become a beacon for those people in need of family and social connections.
"Kuwait is a harsh place, environmentally and spiritually," Zandstra says. "A lot of our congregations are made up of people who work hard and have very little time off, and yet, when they do, will come to the church for a ten-hour seminar."
The unity and devotion experienced at the church, Zandstra says, is unique. The 23-member church council has people from 10 different countries and a dozen denominational backgrounds.
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