Beyond the pyramids 

Egypt is steeped in thousands of years of world-impacting history. Entire libraries could be filled with writings about its ancient kingdoms alone. These remain significant cultural markers of course, but Egypt today is not just pyramids and pharaohs. It is an amazing fusion of old and new, chaotic cities and remote nomadic settlements, fertile riverbanks and dry desert wilderness. It has a unique culture as a Middle Eastern country situated in North Africa. Egyptians tend to see their national identity as neither Arab nor African, simply Egyptian. 

Life along the Nile 

Egypt’s success was first built on the fruitful economies of the Nile River, with tourism and the Suez Canal providing the main sources of income in recent years. Around 95% of the population live along the riverbanks. In the rural villages of the Delta you’ll find people tilling the land and harvesting by hand, as though 2000 years ago. By contrast the streets of Alexandria and Cairo never sleep, constantly bustling with cars, lively coffee shops, stray cats and tuk tuks. Egyptians are fun-loving people, known and appreciated for their sense of humour and ability to laugh at themselves. 

Islam and the local church 

Despite a strong heritage of idol worship and early church history, Islam has been centre stage in Egypt since the 7th Century. The country has become known as the guardian of Islamic Sunni theology. Muslims travel from across the world to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University. The religious division of the population is around 90% Muslim and 10% Christian. Most Christians are Coptics (ethnically Egyptian Christians) with a small proportion of Evangelicals.  

The local church is largely segregated from the Muslim majority population. Religious dialogue comes with an attitude of ‘we are us, you are you’. There is reluctance, lack of awareness, and significant risk involved in reaching out; in the past local churches have been the targets of bomb attacks. Even so, some Egyptian Christians are focussed on sharing the gospel with their Muslim neighbours, and the heart for this work is growing. It is exciting to learn that there are even Egyptian Christians who are being sent out by the local church to witness to Muslims in other parts of the world. 

What are the spiritual needs? 

The need for the gospel is vast within Egypt itself. The cities are growing – Cairo is on track to be one of the top 10 largest cities in the world by 2030 – and most of the rural areas along the Nile are completely unreached. Prior to the last 50 years Egypt had been under rule or heavy influence by empires and colonial powers. Since governing itself again there has been an increase in extremism (including the Muslim Brotherhood) and nationalism. One side effect is a growing disillusionment with Islam amongst Muslims. Young people are turning to materialism and the wealthy are delving into New Age practices; the tourism industry is saturated with yoga retreats and palm readings. There has also been a renewed interest in looking back to the ancient pharaohs, as a way of reconnecting with Egypt’s ancient roots. Rather than opposing Islamic culture, pharaonic heritage has become incorporated into it.  

Foreign workers have influenced the evangelical church in the past and now continue to play important roles. One is in mobilising the Coptic church. There has been a shift in its awareness of the need but it still greatly lacks training and resources for reaching its Muslim neighbours. It is also crucial that field workers keep going to the many unreached places throughout Egypt. Those already living in the country have heard of new waves of openness amongst Muslims recently. It is so true that in Egypt the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Let’s pray that God would multiply what has started in that place, and we would hear of thousands more Egyptians finding faith in Jesus in the years ahead. 

Pray for Egypt 

Praise God for the local church and for Egyptians Christians who have a heart for evangelism. Ask for more to catch a vision for reaching Muslims and that Egypt might become a great sending nation.  

Ask God to raise up more workers from around the world to take the gospel to the 12.5 million unreached Muslims in Egypt, and to help grow the efforts of the existing church. 

Pray for churches to spring up along the Nile amongst the major people groups: Egyptian Arabs, Bedouins, Nubians, Domari, and Sudanese. 

Pray for God’s hand of protection over the Egyptian church, which has suffered great persecution.