Photo: Flickr / David Hoffman (CC)
In 2016, legislation was passed to expedite the approval process for churches in Egypt. Prior to this, congregations that had applied for registration encountered significant opposition over the years, and the construction of new worship facilities was often delayed. Since 2017, however, the committee responsible for reviewing the applications approved an average of approximately 475 churches each year.
During its most recent meeting on April 16th, the committee approved 191 additional church buildings. This decision brings the total number of approvals to 3,804 out of the 5,415 submitted applications. Reflecting on this encouraging development, Duane Friesen from Voice of the Martyrs Canada referred to the approvals as a "good step." At the same time, he urged caution, noting that registration can sometimes result in increased government involvement. For more information, including reports addressing the various challenges encountered by Egyptian Christians, see our country profile.
- Pray that God will continue to open doors for spiritual growth to take place in Egypt, nurturing a society where freedom of belief is respected and all citizens are treated with dignity and fairness.
- May the country's newly approved churches become places of peace and security, where believers will be further encouraged and strengthened in their faith.
- Continue to remember our Christian brothers and sisters in Egypt who are experiencing other forms of persecution, asking the Lord to fill them with courage, wisdom and love as they faithfully share the Gospel of Christ with those around them.
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