CRC Delegation Returns from Egypt

The whole world watches with great hope that in time something new and exciting will be born out of the 2011 Egyptian revolution that toppled longtime autocratic ruler President Hosni Mubarak.

This is the assessment that members of a Christian Reformed Church (CRC) delegation that included one member of the Reformed Church in America (RCA) bring back with them after spending 12 days on a fact-finding trip to Egypt.

The 10-person CRC delegation was led by Rev. Joel Boot, executive director of the CRC. The group traveled to Egypt from March 8-20 to gain a firsthand look at the CRC's newest multi-ministry endeavor involving Anne Zaki and Naji Umran, who live in Cairo and work for Christian Reformed World Missions. Naji and Anne were the primary organizers of the tour.

The delegation came away with the impression that while Egyptian society may be facing the kind of upheaval that Western media portrays, there is another side to the story, one of hope, grace and deep-rooted faith.

“Many of us came to Egypt expecting to find an embattled place deeply in need of help, healing and grace,” says Peter Vander Meulen, director of the CRC’s Office of Social Justice and one of the delegation members. 

"We found a vibrant country proud of its rich heritage, deeply concerned yet actively hopeful. We found Egyptians, regardless of religious orientation, to be warm and welcoming. We found grace in Egypt and the realization of how much we are all in need of it.”

Many of those they met, Peter says, “emphasized the necessity of a dialogue that frankly acknowledges our differences but is focused on identifying common ground through discovering a public ethic common to both Muslims and Christians.”

In varying degrees, they heard about the need for ongoing dialogue when they met with a range of Christian and Muslim leaders, including the General Secretary of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, President of the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary in Cairo and Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Sheik and Imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo.

Ahmed el-Tayeb holds one of the most prestigious theological positions in Sunni Islam, the world’s largest branch of Islam.

The Grand Imam in his highly unusual one-hour–plus meeting with the CRC delegation said that dialogue between the faiths is crucial.  He echoed the words of others, Christians and Muslims alike, when he emphasized that dialogue does not mean seeking agreement on all matters. “Taking that approach,” he said, “will destroy religion. Key is talking without minimizing the differences.”

The delegation also met with the newly elected pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church.  However, the most extensive meetings were with the leaders of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (Synod of the Nile).

Opportunities for mutual learning and ministry between this church and the CRC and RCA were explored. The delegation strongly sensed that the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt could help North American Christians learn about how to live with members of the Muslim faith and how to maintain a witness in the context of civil disturbance.

Dean Koldenhoven, a former Palos Heights, Ill. mayor and recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for Religious Tolerance who went on the trip, said he believed it was important for Christians from the US to meet with Christians from Egypt.

"They, like most of us, need a spiritual lift from time to time from our fellow Christian friends," he said.

But at the same time that dialogue is being promoted, discrimination is occurring in various ways against Christians who make up about 15 percent of Egypt's population.

In Egypt, Christianity is one of three state recognized religions.  Christians have the freedom to openly practice their religion, but live with restrictions on proselytizing and building new church buildings.  Like minority groups in many countries around the world, they also face some discrimination—both at the state-sanctioned and popular levels.

While discrimination is happening now, fears are it will get worse and “turn into persecution if extremists come in and use their power to impose their will on minorities," says Vander Meulen.

At the same time, the CRC group was encouraged to see organizations working systematically against any sort of discrimination.  Many Christian organizations witness by the integrity of the good work they do to serve all Egyptians.  The group returned with the hope that the CRC can be supportive of such efforts.

"We discovered the strength, depth, and amazing resilience of the Egyptian church,” says Vander Meulen.  “We have a great deal to learn from them!”

Members of the group also come back determined to act on the parting advice of Dr. Ramez Atallah, program committee chair of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and Director of the Egyptian Bible Society:  “If you want to help the Christian community in Egypt, pray for all Egyptians.  Pray especially for our faithful, moderate Muslim friends and neighbors who are bearing the brunt of the conservative push to curb human and civil rights - particularly the rights of women.  It is they who are on the front lines.”