Recommendations Call for Closer Ties with Egypt

A final report that makes a series of recommendations on how to create closer ties between the Christian Reformed Church and Egyptian Christians is now available.

These recommendations include forging stronger and in many cases first-time relationships with schools, various ministries and churches in Egypt.

The recommendations come out of a 12-day Vision Trip that the CRC delegation made in March to Egypt.

Including CRC ministry leaders, pastors and others, the group went to visit a new Christian Reformed World Missions ministry at work in Cairo. The group also met with leaders of denominations, schools, outreach and media ministries and with Christians who live and work in various communities.

In addition, the group worshipped in various Christian settings and spoke at length with a top Muslim leader.

During the trip that included one representative from the Reformed Church in America, the delegation had discussions that covered a wide range of topics including economics, religious freedom and the rich, cultural history of Egypt.

They also learned about the various tensions that have led to Egypt’s current political crisis.

In the report, those who went on the trip say:

“Leaders in the Egyptian Church are inviting us to stand with them, with the broader ecumenical
Christian community, and with Moderate Muslim communities of Egypt.

“They are asking us to promote a more accurate awareness of the political and religious realities in Egypt in place of the common Western media-driven sensationalistic misperceptions.

“They are asking us to find  ways to support Egypt’s economic recovery, and political transition to a stable, multi-faith  (pluralistic) democracy that values and protects the rights of all — particularly women and minorities.”

The report also offers specific recommendations of how some of this can become reality. These include:

• Asking the CRC’s Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee to finish the process of establishing fraternal relations between the Synod of the Nile (a large Presbyterian group).
•  Asking the interfaith relations committee to explore increasing involvement in inter-religious dialogue.
• Contacting a Christian School in Palos Heights, Illinois  to explore possible connections with Village of Hope, an Egyptian school for children coming from difficult circumstances.