Middle East Reformed Fellowship
Encyclopedia
Middle East Reformed Fellowship is a missionary
organization evangelizing the Middle East
, North Africa
and now Indonesia
on behalf of Reformed Churches
and believers worldwide.
.
Its international headquarters is located at the John Calvin
Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus.
The Fellowship is administered by seven directors representing the Fellowship's International Council which is composed of leaders from both its Field and Support Committees. The General Director is the Reverend Victor Atallah, based in Larnaca, from where he travels extensively promoting and encouraging the work of the Fellowship.
and the historic reformed confessions form the theological basis for the Fellowship, which aims to "declare the whole counsel of God". These confessions include the Canons of Dort
, Belgic Confession
, Heidelberg Catechism
and Westminster Confession.
Outreach is through indigenous evangelists sponsored by their own national reformed churches, as they know the circumstances, language and culture of their own people. They are accepted as part of their community, and do not return to a foreign country on furlough.
Gospel radio programming in local languages is broadcast from Radio Monte Carlo
through transmitters located in Cyprus
and Monaco
, in conjunction with Words of Hope, a ministry of the Reformed Church of America, and The Back to God Hour, a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church in North America
. Studios are located in Beirut
, Cairo
, Lokichoggio, Addis Ababa
, Khartoum
and Larnaca
. Others are being established in Pakistan
and Indonesia
. Presenters use a conversational style to discuss issues of importance, and invite listeners to write in. They receive personal replies, and, over time, the challenge of the Gospel is presented as trust develops.
Reformed literature is translated into Arabic for publication and distribution.
The John Calvin Centre in Larnaca houses an evangelical study centre and research library where pastors and elders from North Africa and the Middle East come for training and encouragement. A mixed congregation of locals and foreigners meet at Trinity Chapel which is attached to the Centre. Additional study centres have also been established in Beirut
, Cairo
and Lokichoggio.
Diaconal aid is provided from time to time through local churches in order to make their people self-sufficient rather than merely meet immediate needs.
The Fellowship is predominantly active in the Arabic speaking countries and other Muslim
majority countries. Many of these are represented by Field Committees.
Support Committees are located in the USA, Canada
, England
, Scotland
, Ireland
, Holland, Australia
and New Zealand
.
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
organization evangelizing the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and now Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
on behalf of Reformed Churches
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
and believers worldwide.
Statement of Faith and Accountability
The Middle East Reformed Fellowship has been registered in the Republic of Cyprus since 1984 as a religious, non-profit and non-political charitable organisation. The Fellowship serves in the Middle East, North Africa and, more recently, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya on behalf of Reformed Churches and believers worldwide. It is for those who are committed to proclaim the historic Christian faith as expressed in the early ecumenical creeds and the confessions of the Calvinist ReformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
.
Its international headquarters is located at the John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus.
The Fellowship is administered by seven directors representing the Fellowship's International Council which is composed of leaders from both its Field and Support Committees. The General Director is the Reverend Victor Atallah, based in Larnaca, from where he travels extensively promoting and encouraging the work of the Fellowship.
Activities and Ministry
The BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and the historic reformed confessions form the theological basis for the Fellowship, which aims to "declare the whole counsel of God". These confessions include the Canons of Dort
Canons of Dort
The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands, is the judgment of the National Synod held in the Dutch city of Dordrecht in 1618–19...
, Belgic Confession
Belgic Confession
The Confession of Faith, popularly known as the Belgic Confession, is a doctrinal standard document to which many of the Reformed churches subscribe. The Confession forms part of the Reformed Three Forms of Unity...
, Heidelberg Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism is a Protestant confessional document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine...
and Westminster Confession.
Outreach is through indigenous evangelists sponsored by their own national reformed churches, as they know the circumstances, language and culture of their own people. They are accepted as part of their community, and do not return to a foreign country on furlough.
Gospel radio programming in local languages is broadcast from Radio Monte Carlo
Radio Monte Carlo
Radio Monte Carlo is the name of six radio stations owned and managed by three different entities:*RMC Info is a French-speaking station, broadcasting in France and Monaco from Paris with some contributions from Monaco. Radio Monte-Carlo was one of 23 founding broadcasting organisations of the...
through transmitters located in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, in conjunction with Words of Hope, a ministry of the Reformed Church of America, and The Back to God Hour, a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church in North America
Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
. Studios are located in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Lokichoggio, Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
and Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
. Others are being established in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Presenters use a conversational style to discuss issues of importance, and invite listeners to write in. They receive personal replies, and, over time, the challenge of the Gospel is presented as trust develops.
Reformed literature is translated into Arabic for publication and distribution.
The John Calvin Centre in Larnaca houses an evangelical study centre and research library where pastors and elders from North Africa and the Middle East come for training and encouragement. A mixed congregation of locals and foreigners meet at Trinity Chapel which is attached to the Centre. Additional study centres have also been established in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and Lokichoggio.
Diaconal aid is provided from time to time through local churches in order to make their people self-sufficient rather than merely meet immediate needs.
The Fellowship is predominantly active in the Arabic speaking countries and other Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
majority countries. Many of these are represented by Field Committees.
Support Committees are located in the USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Holland, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.