Building Up Media Ministry in Egypt

As families grow in the Middle East, they often choose to build upwards, constructing new levels on their homes’ existing roof. This is also the case for a ‘growing family’ of media ministry in Egypt that is being built on an already-strong ministry foundation.

The new family includes the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Egypt—Synod of the Nile (EPCE), ReFrame Ministries (BTGMI), and Words of Hope (WOH). Together, representatives from all three recently celebrated a new partnership—a partnership that will build upon the Egyptian church’s current media ministry and partnership with the Christian Reformed Church and Reformed Church in America.

“The Christian Reformed Church has a strong partnership with the Synod of the Nile,” said Kurt Selles, director of BTGMI. “And we are excited to see how God will use our resources with media ministry to build upon this partnership.”

Part of the celebration took place on the roof of EPCE’s main office in the middle of Cairo, Egypt. There, this multinational group looked over the bustling city, imagining the ways that God might work here over the next years using media ministry.

While looking over the city from the roof stirred up feelings of excitement, possibly even more exciting was imagining what the roof they were standing on might one day become. The EPCE will potentially build their offices upward to include a new studio for recording ministry programs.

“Egypt is an exciting place—traffic constantly flowing and people moving along the streets,” said Karla Soule, who also represented BTGMI at the celebration, “but more exhilarating is the growing work of the Holy Spirit there. This partnership will expand the reach of the Gospel and reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

Just four floors below that roof, the group prayed for the new ministry and discussed potential ways to use media for serving the local church in Egypt, including the distribution of the joint ministry’s first official project: an Arabic translation of the Seeking God’s Face devotional.

Also at this celebration, Jon Opgenorth, WOH president, recited Psalm 133, a fitting passage for a ministry built on partnership. WOH is the media ministry affiliated with the Reformed Church in America.

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” shared Jon. “For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.”

This new partnership is a re-launch of Arabic ministry for BTGMI and WOH.

BTGMI began Arabic broadcasts in 1958 with Rev. Bassam Madany, the CRC’s first non-English media outreach. Following his retirement, BTGMI began a partnership with WOH and Middle East Reformed Fellowship to expand ministry throughout Arabic-speaking regions.

The next big step as this partnership moves forward? Selecting an Arabic ministry leader. Please pray for wisdom for our partners at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Egypt as they discern God’s call for this new leader. Pray for the person whom God has prepared for this position—that they will sense God’s calling on them into this position.