Reaching out in the Middle East

In some Muslim countries the penalty for converting to Christianity can be severe. But still, Muslim people are turning to Jesus, though they often must do so in secret.

A member of the Back to God Ministries International Arabic team met recently with a group of Christian converts, including a young family from a “closed” Muslim country.

“Both husband and wife are university graduates and came from very devout Muslim families,” the staff member reported. “Their marriage was arranged by the family. They each separately heard the gospel for the first time over the airwaves. As they spent time privately together, they confided in one another about their interest in following Christ.”

Soon after the couple married, they discovered that the husband’s older brother had become a “closet Christian” a year or two before.

The Christian Reformed Church’s support of the Back to God Arabic ministry has made it possible to expand daily programming. As of this spring, all 12 broadcasts to the Middle East are 30 minutes long, giving the opportunity to have even more of an impact in this area of the world.

The ministry team spent months preparing for the expanded broadcast and brainstorming the most effective way to reach the population.

“There was agreement that many Arab Muslims are ready to listen to other viewpoints,” explained the Arab broadcast minister.

“There was also consensus that a Christ-centered biblical world-and-life view would provide listeners with an appealing alternative to the complex Islamic system. Our presentation needs to be faithful to the Bible and at the same time be put in words and expressions understandable to Muslims.”