Neighbouring countries are Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya and Sudan. Egypt is strategically placed, controlling the only land bridge from Africa, the Sinai desert, and the Suez Canal. It plays a central role in Arab-Israeli politics.
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The uprising in Egypt stunned the world, as President Mubarak stepped aside in 2011. The once invincible leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation was later seen in a courtroom on a stretcher behind bars. With elections, Mr Morsi was ushered into the presidential palace. He was steeped in the Muslim Brotherhood, which was founded in Egypt in 1928. Years of oppression forced the Brotherhood to meet in secret as many of its members were imprisoned. Coming out into the open, with one of their own in the presidential palace, their dreams have come true. While Egyptian Christians were positive about the...
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First things first in Egypt My wife and I were on a short holiday recently in Egypt — a cruise down the Nile (before you ask, it was a special offer price for January!) As soon as we discovered where we would be on Sunday, we asked our tour guide — a friendly, helpful and well-educated young man — if he could find out if there was an evangelical church in Aswan, as we would like to attend. Explanation He looked rather bemused and said that he had never been asked such a question before. He asked, ‘What is an evangelical church?’ So...
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EGYPTIAN church History Isaiah 19 predicts that one day the worship of the true God will be supreme in Egypt. In Acts 2, Egyptians were among the many converts on the Day of Pentecost. Tradition has it that the evangelist Mark, perhaps along with these Egyptian converts, spent much time preaching in Egypt. Whether or not this was the case, the Christian faith spread there rapidly. As the early church grew, it found a people in Egypt that already had the Old Testament Scriptures in Greek, a language widely spoken in the northern part of the Nile delta. In the following centuries Egyptian...
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Elizabeth and I first met Pastor Thabet Isaac Megaly in 1998. In January 2000 I visited his church in Kodia, where services are held every evening at 6.00 p.m. and twice on Sunday. On this occasion the church building was packed to the doors with all ages attending. No doubt a retired English-speaking pastor was something of a sensation! With Pastor Thabet, my diligent host, interpreting for me, I preached there and elsewhere sixteen times altogether. The Egyptian people are most hospitable. They honour you by their care, always putting you first and providing much (indeed, too much) delicious food. It is a Muslim country,...
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MSY wrote from Liman Wadi Natroun Prison, in the western desert of Egypt, in response to MERF’s gospel broadcasts. He is serving a seven-year jail term on a drugs charge, and had been listening to these broadcasts for several months. God’s grace had touched his life. The prison officer noticed his changed life and helped him contact his family members and correspond with Christians in Egypt. He was allowed to receive a copy of the Arabic Bible and several pieces of Christian literature. In August he asked that a pastor visit his family. A few days later the family was very surprised to be visited...
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During the second half of the nineteenth century the Lord used the efforts of Bible-believing, Reformed missionaries to disciple tens of thousands of Coptic people and scores of Muslims. This led to the establishment of vibrant Reformed congregations throughout the country. The missionaries realised that they must train pastors, evangelists, elders, deacons and others. This training of an indigenous leadership for the growing churches proved prudent and effective. Today, the Reformed community in Egypt is not only the largest Bible-believing community in the entire Mediterranean region, but also plays an active role in evangelism, church planting and teaching throughout the Arabic speaking world. Coptic believers...
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Egypt – Fact File Area – 385, 229 square miles. Political – Neighbouring countries are Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya and Sudan. Egypt is strategically placed, controlling the only land bridge from Africa, the Sinai desert, and the Suez Canal. It plays a central role in Arab-Israeli politics. Capital – Cairo (12 million). Ports – Alexandria (3 million), Aswan, Port Said and Suez. Urbanisation – 49%. Economy – Egypt has achieved economic progress since the 1980s, although oil price fluctuations and the massacre of foreign tourists in Luxor in November 1997 have lost it foreign exchange earnings. About 40% of the...
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