Mission Crossroads

SPR 2015

Mission Crossroads is a three-time-a-year magazine focused on worldwide work of the PC(USA). It offers news and feature stories about mission personnel, international partners and grassroots Presbyterians involved in God's mission in the world.

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Seeing the Middle East through Christ's call As reports of turmoil and confict in the Middle East continue to make news headlines, Western governments continue to deliberate and strategize how to protect their national interests in the region. On the other hand, the church's outlook and response to events in the world is diametrically diferent. Compelled by the love of God, the church responds to Christ's call – "you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Christians in the Middle East have, in fact, been Christ's witnesses since the Day of Pentecost. Successive generations of Christ's followers proclaimed the Gospel to the region's inhabitants for the past two millennia. However, since the dawn of Islam in the seventh century, Christians gradually became a small minority. By the beginning of the 19th century, Orthodox, Assyrian, Maronite, and Eastern Catholic churches that trace their origin to the Apostolic Era were in a state of decline. Presbyterian churches in the US and Scotland heard God's call to send missionaries to strengthen indigenous churches in the land where Christianity had its cradle. In 1819, a small group of Presbyterian missionaries set foot in Syria (then part of the Ottoman Empire). Since then, several hundred Presbyterian mission workers were sent to Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and other countries in the region. In the same period, Anglican and Lutheran missionaries focked to Palestine (present-day Israel and Palestinian Territories). After centuries of oppressive Ottoman rule, the frst missionaries faced pressing needs for education and health care. So they established clinics, hospitals, and schools, including the frst schools for girls. Tey founded a number of universities throughout the region, and started seminaries to train pastors. A new translation of the Bible into the Arabic language was completed and published widely. In time, Presbyterian communities were formed; churches were planted, and eventually organized into presbyteries and synods. Te missionaries' loving services earned them the respect and admiration of the region's population. For the frst few decades, Presbyterian missionaries named their posts "American Mission," and exported some cultural values and norms along with the Gospel. But, as the missionary movement matured, Presbyterians came to understand "Mission" to be God's work, and therefore, we are called to do mission in partnership with all members of the Body of Christ. 1 Today, partnership missiology guides all activities of Presbyterian World Mission in the Middle East. Mission co-workers are sent at the invitation of partner churches, to come alongside and co-labor with Middle East Christian partners. While Western powers strategize about how to protect their interests in the Middle East, Christ calls his church to have a diferent mindset: "look around you, and see how the felds are ripe for harvesting" ( John 4:35). Te unprecedented events of what started in 2011 as the "Arab Spring" now pose new challenges and opportunities for the church to model the Kingdom of God in this region in turmoil. Many Middle Eastern churches are responding proactively to the changes in their countries with ministries of compassion, outreach, and discipleship. In this issue of Mission Crossroads, you will read about some of these initiatives; about how God's mission in the Middle East is being fulflled among those who are captive or in the shadow of death, those threatened by violence and poverty. You will read how the good news of the gospel is changing lives. Mission Crossroads is a Presbyterian Mission Agency publication about the church's mission around the world. Presbyterian World Mission is committed to sending mission personnel, empowering the global church, and equipping the Presbyterian Church (USA.) for mission as together we address the root causes of poverty, work for reconciliation amidst cultures of violence, and share the good news of God 's saving love through Jesus Christ. EDITOR Kathy Melvin CONTENT MANAGER Amgad Beblawi Special Middle East Issue CONTRIBUTORS Ramez Atallah, Terri Bate, Patrick Cole, Hadi Ghantous, Rick A. Jones, Victor E. Makari, Kathy Melvin, Mary Nebelsick, Scott O'Neill, Mike Parker, Melody Smith, Kate Taber, Cara Taylor, Tarwat Wahba STAY CONNECTED For free additional copies of this magazine, email nicole.gerkins@pcusa.org or call 800-728-7228, x5611. To be added to the mailing list or to change your mailing address, email development.services@pcusa. org or call 800-728-7228, x8658 Presbyterian World Mission www.pcusa.org/worldmission ON THE COVER: Willem J. de Wit took this photo of a church in an Egyptian village. A T T H E C R O S S R O A D S | By Amgad Beblawi, World Mission Area Coordinator for the Middle East and Europe 1. "Presbyterians Do Mission in Partnership," 2003 policy statement adopted by the 215th General Assembly

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