Life-Changing Gospel in the Heart of the Islamic World
Great Commission Media Ministries, together with Egyptian churches, has been preparing for this Mega City Media Campaign for metropolitan Cairo for the past year. By Christmas, about 25 million Egyptians will be exposed to the Christmas message, along with moving life-changing stories from their countrymen through social media.
GCMM interviewed the Egyptian Mega City Campaign director, Ziad Salim, with the following questions:
What is this all about?
I actually believe that we are currently living in sensitive times in Egypt and throughout the Arab world. If you follow the news, you know what is happening politically in Egypt, as well as the wars in Gaza and Sudan, where war has been ongoing for two years.
How does the war in Sudan affect Egypt?
Just like the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, the wars in Sudan and Libya are driving millions of people into Egypt as refugees.
Egypt used to be a safe country, but now, according to reports, there are at least six million Sudanese and many other nationalities, including Yemenis, here. Most live in Cairo, which is precisely why this is an opportunity to reach as well. God is setting the stage in Egypt, particularly in Cairo, for this “I Found It” campaign.
God is the answer, even if people cannot define it themselves. There is a hunger for the word of God. God himself cultivates this hunger in people’s hearts, into the emptiness of the soul.
There is a lot of uncertainty as people from different nations are pouring into the country in massive numbers, amid political and economic challenges. People don’t feel safe. They feel insecure.
The Muslim Brotherhood and many other Muslims have begun to question:
“Is this our Quran? Is this our religion – killing in the name of God?”
Many people are searching for the truth. This is our opportunity as Christians to come alongside and say:
“Here is the Bible. Here are people who have experienced the power of change. Their lives have changed since they encountered Jesus. During the campaign, you can listen and watch their stories.”
What about the local church in Egypt? You are saying people are looking for answers. What is the current situation?
About 20-30 years ago, if a Muslim came to church, they would say, “Be careful. Maybe he’s a spy.” In other words, they wouldn’t trust him. I believe that God is setting the stage for these people to be welcomed into Christian churches and homes. This is yet another sign that many denominations are working together for this media evangelism campaign.
How about the campaign preparations – how are they coming along?
We have been preparing churches with prayer campaigns at six different locations in Cairo, online, and in person. Hundreds of people have already participated in this kind of training—preparing believers to share their faith, for follow-up care and the December campaign event.
How would you describe how Cairo and Egypt are positioned in relation to the rest of the Muslim world?
Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is home to Al-Azhar University, which is an educational institution over a thousand years old. Its significance is immense. The university was founded in the year 970 and is the center for the Quran and Arabic literature for the Muslim world. This university has had a particularly great influence on the development of Islamic education in different parts of the world.
Egypt is called the mother of the Arab people. Many Arabs come here from all over – from the seven countries of the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates) and from the countries of North Africa (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan).
Egypt is the largest Arab country in the world. We know that 12-15% of the population is Christian, at least nominally. The Egyptian government is particularly reluctant to mention the actual numbers, as the number of Christians is growing.
What does the preliminary phase mean, and what have you already done
as a pre-campaign?
We have just completed 15 compelling, life-changing stories from people who have found Jesus as their personal savior. These individuals are well-known throughout the country, and their stories are very effective both online and otherwise. About four million people have already been reached, even though we haven't officially launched the campaign yet.
Campaign Book and Cooperation with the Churches
The campaign book is almost ready. The printing presses will start up within a few weeks at the latest, to print 50,000–100,000 books within the budget limits. At the same time, the “I Found It” website and the Facebook pages of several different organizations will be up simultaneously as part of the campaign.
How many contacts do we aim to reach during the campaign?
We already have 4 million connections – no actual commitments yet, but we are already in people's field of vision. Our goal is 22–25 million connections, mainly through Facebook and ten other effective platforms.
The world has changed
I served with the Campus Crusade for Christ organization for 30 years. I remember how we operated back then: we knocked on doors, went from place to place, and told people about Jesus Christ using the Four Spiritual Laws. We distributed Bibles— but with limited quantities. Now, we thank God that we have technology and media at our disposal. The possibilities are limitless compared to the past. We can reach millions. It is true, though, that people want to experience more than just seeing videos online — they want real encounters with real people, and for community in their everyday lives. We trust in God. Let us pray together. Let us stay together. And let us see what God will do.
Many Muslims have come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. However, the government tries to downplay the number of Christians. Officially, there are only 10 million Christians, but in reality, at least 15 million believers belong to the Christian church. This makes Egypt unique in the Arab world.
The Evangelical Church of Kasr El Dobara is the largest Protestant church in the Arab world, attended by thousands of Christians every week. However, this number is only a drop in the ocean, as the Cairo area is home to approximately 25 million people and the total population of Egypt is 113 million.