If you were to travel to northern Iraq, you wouldn’t arrive as a blank slate. You have preconceived notions based on things you’ve seen or heard about the country. But I think you would be surprised when you stepped off the plane. Many of your stereotypes about the people and the culture would be challenged. And you would be surprised at what God is doing.
This is true for northern Iraq and most of the Middle East.
Iraq is home to one of the first Protestant churches in the Middle East..This is the soil where early believers wrestled with the theology of who Jesus is and where churches multiplied in the first century of Christianity. This land contains the remnants of ancient Nineveh where Jonah was sent on his missionary journey. And this is just possibly the cradle of civilization and home to the Garden of Eden.
The Ancient Paths
What might the church in the West be able to learn from this church in the Middle East? Though the Middle East is much bigger and broader than northern Iraq, it is a good microcosm for the entire area. Many “ancient paths” run through this part of the world. The country beckons us to “stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).
The Garden of Eden is nearby, though its exact location is unknown. When God decided to establish his presence among his people, he did it here. It is impossible to not feel how ancient the area is when one realizes it is where all the stories and events recorded in the Old Testament unfolded. The whole Biblical narrative can be traced through these ancient lands all the way to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, which is in modern-day Palestine.
It was in Antioch, now known as Antakya in the country of Turkey, that early followers of Jesus were first called Christians and Paul and Barnabas were commissioned to take the gospel to the nations. In these places that played host to the beginnings of the world and the church, one can still find Christian communities, some of which even speak the language of Jesus, Aramaic.
From Growth to Decline
Though the church can still be found in these lands today, it has survived through much difficulty. During the first 500 years after Jesus, the church flourished. But, with the birth of Islam in 610, there was a great battle of the faith. Christian capitals like Constantinople (Istanbul) and seats of church bishops like Alexandria, Egypt, eventually succumbed to the onslaught of Islam, along with much of Christianity in the Middle East.
Many believers died for their faith, refusing to convert. Some, threatened with the sword, converted to Islam, and to this day refer to themselves as “Muslim by the sword.”
Ancient Christian communities became struggling minorities scattered throughout the Middle East. During the Byzantine Empire (330-1453 A.D.) much of the Middle East outside the Arabian Peninsula was more than 80% Christian; the area on the Arab Peninsula during this period may have only been between 1% and 5% Christian.
After the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, the Christian population in this region fell until Christians represented about 15% of the population in 1910. A century later, Christians made up only 4.2% of the population in 2010, and their numbers are expected to fall to 3.2% by next year, mainly due to immigration and war among the historic Christian communities.
Though it’s hard to verify the numbers in rapidly changing areas, the Middle East has also seen incredible growth among Protestant Christians from 1960 onward. Despite many Christian organizations reporting growth in church planting across the Middle East during the last couple of decades, the total number of Christians across the region is still less than 5%, with Christians representing about .2% of the population in countries like Turkey and Iran.
God, in his providence, can make conditions more favorable and less favorable for the growth of the church. Yet, he always preserves a remnant and doesn’t need an abundance of resources to multiply disciples. We can learn how to keep growth in perspective. As much as we may enjoy it for a season, God often permits the church to go through winnowing experiences where people must consider the cost of their commitment to Christ.
The Persevering Church
The Middle East is the birthplace of God’s people and a place that has endured so much history and difficulty. For the relatively young church of the West, the Middle East church offers a lesson in what it means to preserve, endure, and be patient under much tribulation.
The admonition of Peter is clear: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12-13).
The church of the Middle East is not surprised by these trials and has persevered through centuries of difficulty. From the beginning of civilization until today,, the church in the Middle East has suffered greatly and yet persevered.
It is a helpful reminder to us in the U.S. that the God who began a good work is truly continuing that work. The gates of hell will certainly not prevail. Though to human eyes it may seem that the church is waning, the groom of the Church has promised to never leave her or forsake her. These and many more lessons are key for the church of the West as we learn what it means to persevere under trial.
The church in the Middle East may be ancient, but it is certainly not dead. It is alive and growing through many difficulties. The gospel is advancing. The Lord of the harvest continues to show us that the harvest is plentiful, and the workers are few. There are many opportunities for the church in the West to partner with their brothers and sisters in the Middle East.
When you visit the Middle East, you will marvel at the church’s history but I believe you will be inspired when you consider its future. Though the church in the Middle East is not as large as the church in the West, God is powerfully present, turning the hearts of people to a saving faith in Christ. God hasn’t given up on the church in the Middle East, and neither should we.
Neal W. serves as the international director of global Muslim ministries for Mission to the World.