project hope north africa

Equipping Church Leaders 

'Please come and train us.' 

We want to be equipped to be light and salt in our villages. Teach us the virtues that we are taught by Jesus. Help us to develop balanced relationships in our lives between family, community and Church. Train us in the matters of money and our financial integrity.”

These were the words of Pastor Ibrahim* and led to Project Hope – North Africa, where a team from South Africa will soon embark to the Arab World and serve the local Church in their Gospel endeavours

Light and Salt?

This mandate of EVERY follower of Christ is to be light and salt. This is a non-optional Christian expression, whether you live in a majority Christian nation like South Africa or a minority Christian nation like Syria.

The words of Christ ring true for every believer across the globe: Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth... "You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

What makes this scripture even more profound is the context. The context is found in the previous two verses "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The one Pastor we met in Syria probably summed it up best when he explained it as follows: Light needs to be burnt, salt needs to be dissolved.

What Matthew 5 is actually saying is: When you are persecuted, you will be scattered like salt and you will burn like a candle – and you will bring flavour wherever you fall and light wherever you shine. It will be an opportunity to allow the light of the gospel to shine through you and reach the ends of the earth. 

John Piper says the following: More and more I am persuaded from Scripture and from the history of missions that God’s design for the evangelization of the world and the consummation of his purposes includes the suffering of his ministers and missionaries. To put it more plainly and specifically, God designs (consecrates) that the suffering of his ministers and missionaries is one essential means in the joyful triumphant spread of the gospel among all the peoples of the world.

For Christians in the Arab World this principle is a daily practice that presents challenges and opportunities simultaneously

The Arab World?

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Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

The Arab world has a total population of 456 million inhabitants and even though the modern Arab world may be a Muslim majority, there is still a significant presence of Christian Arabs. The number of Christians who live in the Arab World is estimated to be between 10 and 15 million (2.5%) . Arab Christian communities can be found throughout the Arab world, but are concentrated in the Eastern Mediterranean region of the Levant and Egypt, with smaller communities present throughout the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.

Persecution?

Nine of the top twenty nations where Christians are persecuted most are found in the Arab World, making it one of the most restricted areas in the world. The nations most closed for the gospel (plus ranking) is as follows:

For Christians, who form the minority in every single nation in the Arab World, the challenges are amplified in villages where traditional values and occupations prevail. These challenges will always be traced back to their faith where persecution often leadS to marginalization, with the constitution of ‘ghettos’ if not on the ground, in the mind; renouncing participation in socio-political life; the temptation of emigration and a lack of confidence in themselves, to mention only a few.

In the past few years alone, Christians faced the hardship of leaders who were kidnapped, churches which were burnt and bombed, and communities that have been targeted – especially in countries like Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Egypt.

Project Hope-North Africa

Team members of dia-LOGOS have long been involved in this region with frequent visits to strategic nations like Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. During a recent visit the dia-LOGOS team was approached by one of the leaders of a key denomination with a request to come and train their 75 leaders. The request ran deeper than simply teaching scripture and convey theology. The need amongst Pastors who live in villages where members face frequent harassment is not only what to believe, but how to stand firm and be the light and salt that scripture teaches.

Dia-LOGOS, in partnership with a local Church in South Africa, will travel to North Africa in November with a small team of leaders to serve the church in this nation. We also hope to provide clothing, books, and resources to the Pastors who will attend. This is not only an enormous privilege but also a huge responsibility to assist, serve and equip. We cannot do it without the body of Christ in freedom.

Project Needs

The budget of the project amounts to $3,000.00 which will enable us to provide a book, a shirt, trousers and a pair of shoes for every Pastor (this was on request by the moderator of the denomination). We will also facilitate the venue and provide the necessary meals and accommodation.

-Will you consider contributing to the project?

-Will you consider being a voice and challenging others in your fellowship/ group/ church to be part of this initiative?

-Will you be an answer to their prayers?

-Will you be the difference between despair and hope? To contribute please make a direct transfer into the following account.

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