_Our understanding of the situation in the Middle East and the role Copts could play_ We
have chosen to serve copts because we believe they are the door to the
middle east. They are the largest christian minority in the region.
They have churches, bibles, worship songs, and television programs and
they can access them legally, in relative freedom. They have daily
interaction with their neighbors, classmates, or coworkers. It is
common for a Christian in Egypt to have several very close friends who
are Muslim. Many Egyptians will tell you that the Muslims and
Christians in Egypt are the same. While we might find fault in this
statement it is definitely a unique situation in the Middle East. The
Coptic population of Egypt is a sleeping giant that if awakened with the
gospel would be an unstoppable force throughout Egypt and the arab
world. And Egypt in general is a key player in the region. It is our
belief that if the gospel were to take hold in Egypt it would quickly
spread throughout the rest of the region, and Copts are the door through
which the gospel enters. We can see this in practical ways but there
is also a strong biblical case that supports this claim