How has the Egyptian revolution affected Egyptian Christians?

Through the windows and into the narrow street leaks the sound of elated worship and fervent prayers from the apartment of Um Maliki.  As a former Muslim, each day she risks her safety as she follows Christ.  Yet each week she could not imagine not opening her home, despite the risk, to the house church that has begun meeting there. It is the body of Christ that gathers, made up of those who are “strangers” to the traditional churches that dot the urban Cairo area.

Um Maliki’s walk with Christ began like many other Muslims, through a dream in which Christ appeared to her.  Since then, she began gathering others of both Christian and Muslim backgrounds to share with them the gospel that has changed her life.

The stories of those who gather each week in Umm Maliki’s home are diverse.   Some are like Um Maliki, legally a Muslim yet followers of Christ.  Others were born into Christian families and are legally allowed to follow Christ.

Religion is more than a faith system in the Middle East.  It is an ethnicity.  Just as you might meet someone in the states who is a “Jew” and yet has never been to synagogue, in the Middle East, Christianity and Islam are also ethnic lineages one is born into.  The government prohibits Muslims from becoming Christians but openly encourages Christians to become Muslim.

On any given night of the week, as the sun sets and darkness begins to cover the city many people quietly slip into homes all over the city where they meet regularly as secret house churches.  The Egypt FMC is comprised of over 100 organized churches and a number of house churches.

Blake Wood has been the Area Director for Impact Middle East mission initiative. The Rev. Dr. Blake Wood has varied pastoral and missionary experience and was recently appointed as senior pastor at Seattle First FMC.  We are privileged to have Blake present inform us on what God’s spirit is doing in this significant part of our world.  Pastor Blake will be presenting, preaching and fielding questions in both of our Sunday services on April 3^rd at 8:15 and 10 AM.