Life outside the underground church

From Fear to Love

Southeast Asian migrant workers, many of them Christian, have been present in the Arab Gulf for more than fifty years. They come primarily for work, filling vital roles across the region. Recently, a Frontiers worker named Harry told us that because of religious restrictions, there are now more than two thousand house churches among these workers, all operating underground.

To worship safely, some groups soundproof rooms in apartments and basements. When a space becomes full, they divide and begin another fellowship somewhere else. There are no paid pastors. Everyone is in the Gulf working for a living, yet quietly, a vibrant church has taken root.

Very few of them had ever considered reaching out to their Muslim hosts. During the pandemic, however, something shifted. People suddenly had time, and prayer increased. When churches came together prayer and worship took on a more missional focus. One house church leader explained, “We realised that we were worshipping, but our Muslim neighbours were not yet. God was telling us, ‘Ask of me. Your time here is limited, so before you leave this country you need to leave something here that will last for eternity.’”

Around the same time, one of the house church network leaders contacted Harry to ask for help. He shared with Harry, “The Lord is doing something in my life and in our network. I used to hate the Muslims here, and now every time I pass by a mosque, I start weeping for them.”

Harry says, “It’s critical that we understand this is the Holy Spirit’s timing, not a missionary’s timing. The house churches have ownership; it’s their vision. The challenge for them is that they don’t know how to be missional among their neighbours. That’s why they ask us for input and we have a key role in helping them form teams and shaping their strategy.”

Now more and more churches are forming outreach teams and beginning to engage their communities. It’s still early but the movement is growing.