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Egyptian church buildings are being attacked.
Pray for the believers!

A group of hard-line Muslims attacked a church building in Upper Egypt on September 30, torching the structure and then looting and burning nearby Christian-owned homes and businesses. The 3,000-strong mob of Muslims gutted the Mar Gerges Church in the village of Elmarenab in Aswan province, then demolished much of its remains, multiple witnesses at the scene said. The mob also razed four homes near the church and two businesses, all Christian-owned. Looting was also reported.

The Mar Gerges burning is the third church in Egypt in seven months to be burned down by a mob. No casualties have yet been reported in the attack. The tension in Elmarenab started the last week of August, when Muslim extremists voiced anger over renovations taking place at the church. They also opposed any Christian symbols that could be seen from the outside. To force the Christians to acquiesce to their demands, the Muslim extremists blockaded the entrance to the church and threatened believers on the streets, in effect making them hostages in their own homes.

Please pray the government will do all they can to protect Christians from this kind of violence. Pray the Christians will not lose heart but continue to take every opportunity to meet together to worship the Lord and provide encouragement to one another. May the Lord use the conduct of Egyptian Christians to act as a witness for the gospel.

For more information on persecution in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

Current Ministry Project

VOMC works with international partners to provide a safe place of refuge, counsel and discipleship for Christians from Muslim backgrounds who were forced to flee their homes due to religious pressure from their families, and/or have experienced ostracization from others in their communities because of their identity in Christ.

Project Fund: Underground Church

Country Information

Designation
Persecuted

Population
106,437,241 (July 2021 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Egyptian (99.7), other (0.3)

Religion (%)
Islam (90), Christianity (10)

Leader
President Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi (2014)

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws

Source: World Factbook

Pray for Egypt

Pray on behalf of those who are facing economic and social challenges because of their Christian faith. Ask the Lord to provide for their spiritual and practical needs – further strengthening and emboldening them so they can effectively share the message of the Gospel with others in their communities. May the hearts of those who hear it be open and receptive to the wonderful truths contained in God’s Word.

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Egypt News

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