Middle East (MNN) — Pope Benedict XVI is on a tour of the Middle East. This
week, he declared his support for a Palestinian state and condemned Israel's
protective wall.
In the midst of the conflict between followers of Islam and
followers of Judaism, Christianity is quietly spreading among the people of the
Middle East.
A partnership between Words of Hope and the Middle East
Reformed Fellowship (MERF) is bearing much fruit for the Gospel. MERF's Gospel broadcasts reach 340 million
residents of 22 countries in the Arab League, and listeners are
responding.
"Thank you a million times," wrote one listener from Palestine. "You help me understand the Holy Bible and
the reason I am created."
A new series is being added to MERF's Arabic programming and will air for four minutes every Saturday. It will address problems relevant to young people such as finding housing and jobs,
choosing a spouse, and dealing with broken families.
MERF's programs in 3 major Ethiopian languages — Amharic,
Oromo, and Somali — also report getting feedback from many people who are
hearing and responding to the Gospel. "I
tuned to your program when I was searching for another radio station, and I
decided to follow your program," one listener said. "After three months of listening, I believed
in Christ and started to attend the local church in my village."
MERF also supports indigenous evangelists and pastors with
training and leadership. For instance, a
group of church leaders has been getting biblical training at Lokichoggio, on
the Kenya-Sudan border, for the last few months.
Despite the region's instability and political tension, MERF
and Words of Hope praise God for the progress of God's Kingdom in the Middle East.
"The number of Muslims positively responding to the
invitation to follow Christ as Lord and Savior continues to grow in response to
MERF's media ministries," MERF said. "We
give thanks for more volunteer and part-time trained text writers and voicers,
and for a stronger sense of calling on the main members of the broadcast team."
