Palestine (MNN) – In 1979, Dr. Bishara Awad answered God’s call to establish Bethlehem Bible College, a school whose legacy resounds across the Middle East to this day. Dr. Awad was recently awarded the Labib Madanat Kingdom Impact Award for his service to the college and faithfulness to God.
Dr. Awad was raised in a refugee family. When Dr. Awad was just a child, his father was killed by a sniper right outside their family home. His mother raised him and his six siblings until they were old enough to attend boarding school. Then, in 1979, he first heard God’s call.
According to Dr. Jack Sara, current president of Bethlehem Bible College, “He went through a lot of persecution, hardship, difficulties, and attacks. Yet he served and was able to establish one of the most impressive evangelical institutions in the Middle East which had an impact over generations of people like myself and many others who studied at Bethlehem Bible College.”
Sara says that 70% of pastors in Palestine and neighboring regions graduated from Bethlehem Bible College. That impact cannot be understated, especially in a region as spiritually volatile as the Middle East.
“A man like that should not only be honored, but also his legacy should be carried on by people like myself and many others, because of how he was a prayerful man of faith, a man that did not fear, despite the hardships he faced and despite the brokenness he faced.”
The Labib Madanat Kingdom Impact Award takes the form of a kintsugi bowl. Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese pottery art that involves piecing together broken fragments using gold, making the resulting bowl far stronger and more beautiful than it was originally. It’s symbolic of the challenges that forge great spiritual leaders in the Middle East. Dr. Awad’s legacy earned him a spot amongst those leaders.
But Dr. Awad hasn’t served at Bethlehem Bible College for some time. In fact, twelve years ago, he passed the baton to Dr. Jack Sara. Where is Bethlehem Bible College now, and what is their vision for their students and the people those students will serve?
“We want to serve the Lord in his land, and we want to be faithful to his call for us in such a land that has been in turmoil as long as anyone could remember,” Sara says.
“I remember [Dr. Awad] telling me that when he was approached by one of the guys who supported us for quite a long time, and he asked him, ‘Why should I support you? You guys work in a war zone. Who would establish such a thing in a war zone?’ And [Dr. Awad] said, ‘This is in this place that we need to empower agents of peace, the love of Christ, and the work of the Kingdom.’”
Ultimately, Bethlehem Bible College’s true leader is God, and He has remained faithful in the face of every conflict.
“Despite the difficulties, God is faithful with us, and because of His faithfulness, we want to be faithful to Him and His people and the church in the Holy Land and in the Middle East and North Africa.”
Pray for the continued legacy of Bethlehem Bible College and the leaders it empowers. Ask God if He wants you to participate in furthering that legacy. And thank Him for the blessing that Dr. Awad has been upon the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Header photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College.
