David James

Equipping Pastors International

How realistic is it? This was a question I was asked by a friend of mine recently. We had been talking about North Africa and the Middle East once again becoming the intellectual and theological capital of the Christian world. It was a good question. 

Before answering that question, though, let's lay out the strategy for those who may just be getting in on the discussion. My thesis, simply put, is that Egypt is the key. If you control Egypt, you control the entire Mediterranean region. This has been the understanding of every great historical leader from Alexander the Great to Napoleon, and every great Empire from Greece to Great Britain. Islam knows this to be true today. That is why Egypt remains one of the largest exporters of Islam today. Historically, however, Egypt was one of the chief exporters of Christianity in the first six centuries. I believe that it is possible for Egypt to return to her former glory as one of the leading nations in the Christian world. 

So the question is, "How realistic is this thesis." 

In answering that question let me sate that one of the reasons Egypt is the key is because the Christian population of Egypt has never been less than 10 percent. Now this is unusually high for the region. Yet the numbers are somewhat misleading. I say misleading because these are the official numbers. The real numbers are most likely much higher. The number I hear bantered around the region is something like 20 or 30 percent. The truth of the matter is that no one really knows because people who convert from Islam to Christianity don't usually advertise their conversions--it's simply too dangerous. So surveys, and statistics are pretty unreliable. But let's say that the number is approaching 30 percent in a country that has little outside evangelical missionary involvement, very few Christian books in their mother tongue, and little historical knowledge about their own Christian heritage that dates back to the time of the evangelist Mark. Here is a nation that under these extraordinary circumstances has grown to around 30 percent of the population. 

Imagine that we are able to radically increase missionary involvement, translate hundreds of books of the best Christian literature available in the west, and educate these peoples regarding their true Christian heritage. If we were able to do this, do you think that we would be able to increase the Christian population by at least 20 percent of the general population? If you answer yes to that question then Christians would then make up 50 percent of the Egyptian population. 

What kind of change do you think that would bring to the region?

I believe that a 20 percent change in the religious population in Egypt would probably be enough to tip the scales in that country toward the favor of Christianity and quickly lead to a Christian majority. And if my thesis is right, the rest of the region will soon follow Egypt. 

So "How realistic is it?" It could be a reality within our lifetime. 

Imagine, we could see the decline and fall of the Islamic empire in our life time. 

The prospect of that reality is what now motivates me to devote all my time to that effort. Please join us at Equipping Pastors International to make this thesis a reality. The realization of a Christian Egypt, North Africa, and the Middle East is going to require our mutual cooperation for the good of the Kingdom of God.