M.E.R.F.: New Centres in Cairo and Beirut For Expanding Broadcast Ministries!

TROWEL & SWORD

Resources - Missions (Overseas)

November 1999

MISSION NEWS

M.E.R.F.: New Centres in Cairo and Beirut For Expanding Broadcast Ministries!

From Australian MERF Newsletter

In a special meeting in Cairo earlier this month, MERF’s Board of Directors ratified plans for development of its broadcast ministries to the Arabic-speaking world. The Back to God Hour recently joined MERF and its long standing partner in Gospel broadcasting, Words of Hope, for major expansion of the Gospel broadcasts produced by MERF in the Arabic language. Leaders of the three Reformed organizations meeting at MERF’s Larnaca headquarters in August completed a detailed agreement which unifies their efforts in Arabic broadcasting.

The expansion of the work commits MERF to reaching the level of producing no less than seven new broadcasts every week to be used on as many stations as the Lord enables the three partners to support. In order to meet this goal MERF will set up two adjunct radio ministry centres in Cairo and Beirut. The new centres will work closely with MERF’s existing broadcasting team in Larnaca, not only to produce Gospel broadcasts, but also to ensure the growing number of listeners responding receive the same personalized, spiritual nourishment and care which is now provided.

Initially, the recording and distribution of the broadcast materials will continue to take place at MERF’s well-equipped facilities in Cyprus. Trained people will also fly into Larnaca from Cairo and Beirut to record Arabic broadcasts. The listener follow-up efforts will be conducted under the direct oversight of MERF’s Local Administrative Committee in Egypt and the Lebanon Reformed Fellowship.

Suitable facilities have already been found and rented for the new radio ministry centre in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, which is conveniently located near the centre of the city in a secure church-owned complex. The new centre is now being furnished and equipped to officially open at the end of October, after a three-day consultation and radio training conference. About 30 potential writers, producers and broadcasters will participate in the training event. A well-qualified manager and team leader has already been appointed for the Cairo centre.

Plans call for opening a second centre in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, within eight months. Lebanese, Egyptian and other Arab believers will join together for an intensive one-week study term at John Calvin Centre, in early December for writing and producing Reformed Gospel broadcasts.

Egypt and Lebanon represent the dominant cultural forces in the Arabic-speaking world. Egypt has a very large Reformed community and Lebanon enjoys much freedom for Gospel outreach. The two centres will make use of the gifts of believers not only from Egypt and Lebanon, but also from other countries, including Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine and Sudan.

Pray for wisdom and energy for those leading the expanding Arabic broadcast ministry, for the process of selecting staff and volunteers for the expansion of the radio team and for the Lord’s provision of the necessary financial resources.

John Calvin Centre Training Update

Three large groups received biblical training at JCC in July, August and September. In July a group of youth leaders from churches across Egypt dug into the Scriptures together. Mr Robert Nijhoff, their Dutch guest instructor, sought to open the Book of Acts to these young workers to understand the way God operates in gathering his people and building them up. In August, Arab Sunday School teachers received instruction from Mr Peter van Daalen on prayer and from Rev A. Yacoub on effective communication of God’s truth to the children.

In September about forty university students and graduates from Lebanon, Jordan and Syria gathered at JCC to prepare themselves for witness to Christ in the universities and colleges of these three nations. Pastor Jiris Habash and Dr Bernard Reytsma, both active in service among university students, served as guest instructors. Pastor Habash expounded the Book of Galatians while Dr Reytsma led a stimulating Christ-centered look at the New Testament. Rev Victor Atallah taught the JCC guests on aspects of biblical worship.

Earlier this month, about 180 Egyptian and Sudanese men and women who received training at MERF’s Calvin Centre during the past two years arranged a day to fellowship together. The one-day reunion was spent in an oasis east of Cairo. They were led in a two-session discussion by a local pastor on the biblical principles for revival and the growth of the local churches. An elder led the closing session in which he exhorted them to commit themselves to a life of intercessory prayer on behalf of the church’s need for faithful and hard-working young pastors.

All reports of problems and comments concerning this site: webmaster@trowelandsword.org.au

Privacy