Egypt (MNN) — Last week marked the 12th anniversary of Egypt’s Arab Spring revolution. Mass protests on January 25, 2011, led to then-President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, and several years of chaos followed.
Man holding Egyptian flag during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
(Wikimedia Commons)
Christians saw record-level persecution when the Muslim Brotherhood came to power. In 2013, it seemed a new day was rising with Morsi’s military overthrow, led by the former army chief and current Egyptian President, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Hopes quickly dimmed when the path cleared for al-Sisi to take the helm the following year.
Today, as in most countries, the average Egyptian complains about inflation and a struggling economy. “Yes, prices are going crazy; but at the same time, I can see positive things happening,” MENA Leadership Center’s Fadi Sharaiha says.
“I was in Egypt a few weeks ago, and the infrastructure has changed so much. Things are getting better. [Additionally,] they (Egyptian leaders) are talking to the World Bank and the IMF.”
MENA Leadership Center helps church leaders throughout the Middle East/North Africa region expand their capacity. More about that here.
“We’re in Term One right now [and] we have three courses: religious freedom, leadership building capacity, and volunteer management. Two [of the three] instructors are from Egypt,” Sharaiha says.
One course has already set a new record. “I don’t know what happened [to create this phenomenon],” Sharaiha says.
“We ended up having 120 participants, and the target was 60. Most of them are coming from Egypt.”
Pray that MLC receives additional funding so more Christian leaders can attend these courses. Consider sponsoring a church leader through MENA Leadership Center.
Most importantly, pray. “Please, please, please pray for Christians in the Middle East and North Africa,” Sharaiha says.
“Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue working, and pray for wisdom for us while [we are] working around these topics, navigating things happening in the Middle East.”
Header image depicts protestors in Cairo on February 18, 2011. (Wikimedia Commons)
Discussion about this post