Is Christianity Dead in Iraq? 4 Signs of Hope

We have heard about the atrocities, the thousands of Christians displaced and the ancient churches being destroyed by Islamic State (IS). Is this a temporary battle that U.S. firepower will help win or are we witnessing the end of Christianity in Iraq? “The...

Why Churches Need a Theology of Prophetic Engagement

A Turkish theologian and a friend of mine describes the theologies that frequently govern the ministry of churches serving in a majority non-Christian context like ours at Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) in Beirut, Lebanon. The first is a theology of retreat,...

Why Seminaries Must Do More Than Teach Preaching

How can the effectiveness of a theological seminary be assessed? Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS) recently hosted a conference organized by Overseas Council, where this question was asked. It has often been assumed that seminaries train pastors to preach,...

After Hardship, Algeria’s Christian Churches Bloom

For nearly 10 years (1991-99), the country of Algeria was plunged into a horrific civil war. The brutality was unimaginable as an estimated 60,000 to 200,000 people were killed. Ironically, few in the Western world were aware of what was happening until Cistercian...