Middle East/North Africa (MNN) – Despite serving in areas that are in almost constant turmoil, MENA Leadership Center (MLC) joyfully empowers Muslim background believers with practical and organizational training, supports local organizations, and trains women.
MLC is not a higher education institution, but instead offers practical and organizational training to Muslim background believers. These trainees are leaders in their communities and seek strategic ways to spread the Gospel throughout the MENA region, Türkiye, and Pakistan. The training helps them navigate the unique turmoil they face because of their backgrounds and where they live.
MLC works in response to the felt needs of those they serve. Dr. Jenn Murff with MLC says that often organizations can focus in on assumed needs. MLC strives to listen to what people actually need. “We are going to listen to the needs. Then to meet that, we’re going to bring in the best of the best for instruction. We’re going to make sure that we’re making a true Kingdom impact.”
An Underserved Population
As MLC listened, they learned that women have been underserved in leadership training. Murff says that recently they have been working more with women leaders.
“We’re seeing women, more than ever, rise to the surface to meet the needs of the church on an organizational level. It’s kind of amazing to see what God is doing.”
These women leaders are seeing gaps in their church bodies and want to step in to fill needs, but lack training. “Some of the most talented people that I’ve ever known in my life are women from the MENA,” Murff says. “They are strong; they are resilient; they have great minds. They just need the tools to be able to see things through.”
(Image courtesy of Cedric Fauntleroy on Pexels)
Several women on MLC’s founding advisory board advocated for this need and played instrumental roles in the new programs. As they provide resources, MLC has seen God bring new women to the programs.
“We’re seeing more and more women not just come to faith, but step into leadership,” Murff states. “We want to give them the tools to be able to successfully navigate what God’s put in front of them. So, it has to be a priority for us. . . This is where God is. And we want to be where God is.”
Learn More
In addition to focusing in more on women’s leadership training, MLC opened a new platform called “Powered by MLC”. This platform allows ministries to run high quality courses as well as helps them gain exposure.
If you are interested in learning more about how MLC equips women, trains leaders, or “Powered by MLC”, click here.
Representative header photo courtesy of Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.
