How to rescue the persecuted without putting others in more danger
July 2014Article 5 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement International pressure secured the safe release of Meriam Ibrahim when she faced the death penalty in Sudan for her faith. But mishandled public campaigns on behalf of persecuted Christians can cause more harm than good. A Middle East writer outlines the pitfalls to avoid. We all followed the distressing trial […]
Testimonies that build the hearer but break the teller
June 2014Article 4 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement Asking a believer from a non-Christian background to share their experience of God brings a responsibility, says a Middle East writer: to let them tell their story honestly, and to support them in their ongoing discipleship. All too often that isn’t what happens… When I first became a Christian from […]
Relating to people of other faiths
May 2014Article 3 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement Five things to avoid in our witness to people of other faiths. A Middle East Christian advises us. The world has gotten smaller. People of other faiths who used to live in faraway places now live next door to us. Ease of transport means more than ever that many of […]
Watch your footprint – short-term overseas visits
March 2014Article 2 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement Short-term opportunities to be part of Christian projects abroad have multiplied in recent years. If carefully considered, they can be hugely beneficial. If not, they can leave damaging footprints on the Church and its community in sensitive countries. Our Middle East writer explains. What lasting impression will our trip leave […]
Relating to the persecuted Church
January 2014Article 1 in a new series: The Ethics of Global Engagement A Middle East contributor highlights some of the issues we need to be mindful of as we engage with the church in the Middle East and North Africa. The Body of Christ is not simply a local church that meets on Sundays, but a global body of all those […]
Celebrating Christmas in Iran
December 2013An arduous journey and close surveillance faced the wise men who came seeking the birth of Jesus. Traditionally thought to be Persians, their challenges are echoed in the monitoring and risks faced by Iranians who celebrate Christ’s birth today. Everyone who has ever watched or taken part in a Nativity play knows that some of the first people to recognise […]
The outlook for the church in Sudan
October 2013After two lengthy civil wars, Sudan’s Christian and animist southern states finally parted company with Khartoum’s Arab-Islamist government in July 2011. But the consequences for Christian witness in Sudan itself have been severe. Wissam al-Saliby, Development and Partner Relations Manager at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS), Lebanon, unpacks these and explains why it remains vital to support Christian ministry there. […]
Women: at the heart of church growth in Iran
Women are playing a crucial role in what is one of the most unexpected stories of our generation: the growth of the Church in Iran. Dr Mojdeh Shirvanian from Elam Ministries has served the Church in Iran for over thirty years. Here she identifies three ways in which this is happening. Before the Iranian revolution in 1979 there were a […]