{"id":133,"date":"2011-03-13T09:17:35","date_gmt":"2011-03-13T09:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/activistfaith\/2011\/03\/helping-egypts-christians.html"},"modified":"2011-03-13T09:17:35","modified_gmt":"2011-03-13T09:17:35","slug":"helping-egypts-christians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/activistfaith\/2011\/03\/helping-egypts-christians.html","title":{"rendered":"Helping Egypt’s Christians"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The following report comes from my friends at Open Doors International<\/a>. Much is happening in Egypt, far more than the headlines can share. Here is what one group is doing to help live out faith in this area.<\/i><\/p>\n

Thanks,<\/i><\/p>\n


<\/i><\/p>\n

Dillon<\/i><\/p>\n

+++<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When
\na bomb ripped through a church in Alexandria this past New Year’s Day,
\nChristians across the western world reeled with shock. Twenty-one
\nbelievers were killed in the attack, and many others were wounded. While
\nChristians in the west watched the news reports with disbelief, our
\npartners in Egypt tell us that the attack came as no surprise to local
\nbelievers. <\/p>\n

“Things are becoming more and more uncertain for
\nChristians in Egypt,” says Ammon, who heads up our ministry in the
\ncountry. And it’s not only in the big cities like Alexandria and Cairo
\nwhere believers are facing increased danger.<\/p>\n

“The most important
\nchallenge for our work is to continue to strengthen the church in rural
\nareas,” explains Ammon. “Recently Christians were attacked after
\nsomeone spread a rumor that a local pastor wanted to start a house
\nchurch. The rumor started simply because two cars from Cairo were parked
\nin front of his house. The whole village turned out in anger. Believers
\nwere attacked, and cars were set on fire, along with several houses and
\nshops owned by Christians.” <\/p>\n

Fundamentalists gaining ground
<\/strong>Ammon
\nidentifies the increase in anti-Christian violence as stemming directly
\nfrom a rise in fundamentalist Islam in Egypt, which is gaining ground
\nover the more liberal Islam which has previously held sway in many
\nregions.<\/p>\n

“Many Egyptians go to Saudi Arabia to work. They come
\nback with fundamentalist ideas and no longer tolerate other views,”
\nexplains Ammon. “These Egyptians come back with a new dream–to make
\nEgypt into a strict Islamic state. In the villages, the fundamentalists
\nare gaining power, taking over the mosques, and teaching the people to
\nturn to violence.” <\/p>\n

Holding fast to Christ
<\/strong>Despite
\nthe swelling tide of violence against the church, Ammon also tells us
\nhow your support is enabling believers in Egypt’s rural areas to hold
\nfast to Christ. By providing training seminars, together with Bibles and
\nstudy resources for isolated pastors, Open Doors is equipping rural
\nchurches to stand firm in the face of persecution. <\/p>\n

In addition,
\nour micro-credit projects are providing practical help for many rural
\nChristians, who otherwise would be forced to leave their villages and
\nhead to the cities to find employment. “The pull to the cities is
\ndisastrous for local churches,” says Ammon. “So Open Doors supports
\nChristians who do not have an income through vocational training and
\nloans so they can start up small businesses.” <\/p>\n

Strengthening Egypt’s bravest
<\/strong>There
\nare so many in Egypt who are living for Christ in the midst of danger.
\nThat’s why your support for believers like Ammon and our partners across
\nEgypt is so important. It’s bringing strength and perseverance to the
\nbravest of our brothers and sisters who are advancing the Kingdom in the
\nface of increasing uncertainty! <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

+++<\/p>\n

DILLON
\nBURROUGHS is an author, activist, and co-founder of Activist Faith.
\nDillon served in Haiti following the epic 2010 earthquake and has
\ninvestigated modern slavery in the US and internationally. His books
\ninclude Undefending Christianity, Not in My Town (with Charles J.
\nPowell), and Thirst No More (October). Discover more at ActivistFaith.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following report comes from my friends at Open Doors International. Much is happening in Egypt, far more than the headlines can share. Here is what one group is doing to help live out faith in this area. 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