The Annual General Meeting of the European Baptist Federation (EBF) recently ended in late September. The federation especially chose a region dominated by Islam in the Middle East - Lebanon - to hold the gathering. Nevertheless, the EBF celebrated the impressive development in the mission work across the Mediterranean.
The report from the Middle East representatives came from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq, and it stated that the national Evangelical Baptist Church in Baghdad is growing. In addition, people are meeting in house groups in the Kurk area outside Baghdad, therefore a second church is planned.
Iraqi leaders told how the Church there continues with meetings on Sundays, and also carry out youth and women’s activities despite the unstable social and political factors. He expressed his faith in the future of the country with God’s help.
The new ministry started last February in Syria, and so far it has attracted people from different villages to listen to the Word of God. In Jordan, 30-40 people are regularly meeting in a home in the Zarkar area. In addition, a new church was also planted in Egypt, as well as a dynamic Christian bookstore ministry in Amman.
As the host country, Lebanon reported that a new church of 17 regular members in a small Lebanese village in the region of Kesrwan was formed through the EBF program of indigenous Baptist churches’ evangelistic ministry. Another church was started last March in another town.
Ghassan Khalaf, President of the Evangelical Baptist Churches of Lebanon, spoke of the challenges faced by Middle East ministers. The region is under the influence of pluralism and people think that all religions are equal. Nevertheless, the adverse situation has motivated the Baptists to preach the Gospel.
