Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - SAT-7: Helping Christians of the Middle East and North Africa

5th November 2009

What do you know about Middle Eastern and North African Christian communities? Did you know that in the year 1900 Arab Christians made up 20% of the entire population in the Middle East? Today that number is less than 5% across the region and continues to decrease in many areas.

There are Christians in every Arab nation and still sizable numbers in some countries, but they need our help.

The largest communities live in Lebanon, Syria, Israel/Palestine, Egypt and Jordan. In some areas, such as in Bethlehem and parts of Iraq, the original Christian community may disappear in the near future.

Many have limited or no access to Christian training or other materials that can help disciple new followers of Christ and train emerging leaders so that local churches survive and thrive. But satellite TV, including the SAT-7 Network, is reaching even the most remote areas.

Satellite TV is one of the best means to support, encourage and help train these Christian communities, and it’s often the only way to reach millions of people who live in very isolated regions. Over 500 million people inhabit the region, and nearly half of the total population has access to satellite television.

Follow the links below to learn more about the region, the Christians who live there, and about how SAT-7 is playing an important role in serving and strengthening the Church in this area of the world.

More about Christians of the Middle East & North Africa

The Need
Local Churches
Regional Overview
Ethnic Groups & Languages
Youth
Conflicts
History
Map

Source: SAT-7