Egypt (MNN) — Believers in Egypt see continued improvements under President el-Sisi.
“The Church is better than ever before,” says Nabil*, a Gospel worker focused on Egypt.
“We [are living in a] good time for Christianity, and this is not coming by luck. This is a prayer of the Church all the time, and we thank God for that.”
Over the past nine years, Sisi’s administration rebuilt dozens of churches that the Muslim Brotherhood torched. The government is also working to resolve issues that are centuries old, like legal problems that prevent new church construction.
Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo is the largest cathedral of any denomination in Africa and the Middle East.
(Wikimedia Commons)
“The government and Sisi himself [are] open-minded,” Nabil says.
“It was difficult to worship God in some areas. But now the Church has become more legal and we can worship God.”
Pockets of persecution remain, but nothing like what believers faced under the previous government. “The government’s attitude [toward Christians] is good now,” Nabil reiterates.
“They want to help you; they want to rebuild churches.”
Pray these positive changes will extend to believers from a Muslim background. Government-issued ID cards show religion, and these believers aren’t allowed to change from “Muslim” to “Christian.”
“There is a discussion about [removing] the religion from their ID. We pray for that change, for freedom for all the people,” Nabil says.
“This is a relation[ship] with you and with God, not a political thing.”
*Pseudonym
Egypt is home to the fastest-growing population in the Middle East and the largest Christian population in the Arab world. (Photo courtesy of Murat Şahin/Pexels)
