The Middle East’s Greatest Need

How TMAI Strengthens Churches in the Arab Speaking World

The person quoted in this story leads The Master’s Academy International’s only training center in the Middle East. Because he ministers in two countries where Islam is the official religion and there is hostility toward Christianity, we are using his initials, M.S., to protect his identity.

The biggest challenge facing The Master’s Academy International’s only training center in the Middle East would probably surprise most American Christians. It’s not hostility from the predominantly Muslim culture, though that’s something they know is possible. It’s not a lack of students. Evangelicals may only account for less than a half-percent of the population of Lebanon—where the training center has a location—but the student body is growing thanks to its high-quality graduates and stellar reputation among that tight-knit community. The same is true in Egypt, the other country where the training center has a location. Ninety percent of the country is Muslim. Among the small, conservative Christian community, the training center credits the high quality of its graduates for the growth.

“Recently, I interviewed seventeen applicants for our Egypt location,” M.S. said. “Every one of them, without exception, said a graduate’s recommendation was why they were applying to our school.”

Thanks to the quality of the education, and graduates’ eagerness to recommend it among the evangelical community, M.S. and the other training center leaders have more students than they have room for, and they anticipate the number of students increasing in the coming years as they add more programs and the number of alumni grows.

So if the predominantly Muslim culture isn’t the greatest challenge, and a lack of students certainly isn’t, then what does M.S. say is?

“Our biggest problem right now is faculty,” M.S. said. “We are ready to launch new programs in Lebanon and Egypt, but we can’t until we have qualified faculty to teach them.”

It’s extraordinary to think that in the heart of the Middle East, in two countries dominated by Islam, a TMAI training center’s biggest problem isn’t interest in the program or government and social persecution. Instead, it’s a lack of teachers with the theological acumen and proficiency in Arabic to teach.

Thankfully, more faculty are joining M.S. In the coming years, two more full-time faculty are committed to joining the work in Lebanon and Egypt. One of those future faculty members is a Lebanese man who is currently studying at The Master’s Seminary. But despite the expanding faculty, there is still the need for more, particularly native speakers who don’t face the long learning curve of Arabic.

“If an English speaker decides he is going to serve here at our institution, it will take him probably six years to learn the language well enough to teach theology, hermeneutics, preaching and pastoral ministry,” M.S. said. “That’s a long commitment, but it’s more than worth it when you see the incredible fruit of the ministry.”

The fruit M.S. is referring to are stronger churches and more expository preaching throughout the Middle East.

“Our program essentially teaches people how to preach expository sermons,” M.S. said. “What I mean by expository is your sermon is coming from the text. Your main points are coming from the text. You’ll get lip service to the value of expository preaching throughout the Middle East, but a lot of guys here don’t really know how to preach in an expository fashion. We’re trying to change that because good preaching defines the direction of a church. When you are preaching, you are modeling, sometimes unconsciously, a philosophy of ministry and a particular way to approach Scripture. We believe if we can influence how pastors preach in this part of the world, that will overflow into other things that they do, whether it be the way they lead, the way they disciple, practice communion and so much more. So much of church life and ministry flows out of the commitment to the text that’s embodied in expository preaching.”

M.S. knew the Middle East lacked expository preaching when he and his family first moved to Lebanon in October of 2011. At the time, there wasn’t a TMAI training center in the region. There were other evangelical schools, but there was a lack of emphasis on expository preaching specifically. When M.S., his wife, and children came, they knew a couple local pastors who wanted to teach men in Lebanon how to preach like John MacArthur.

“We came here because we knew there was a major need to train men how to preach and pastor, and we felt God calling us to meet that need,” M.S. said. “But in 2011, we were the first ones to move here with the goal of starting a training center. We had the goal figured out but we had no clue how we were going to accomplish it. We had no students, faculty, or facilities.”

Patience was key. For M.S., those early days involved meeting with pastors across the country, forging relationships, listening and learning how to use his newfound Arabic proficiency to build friendships and connect with other pastors and church leaders. After a few years of networking and teaching, M.S. and his team were able to recruit seven men to go through the program, starting in 2018. Four of those would graduate from the program two years later. Today, halfway through year seven, they have forty graduates and dozens of students.

If a potential faculty member wants to know why M.S. loves ministering in the Middle East, and why he’d say it’s worth it to relocate to such a unique part of the world, learn Arabic, and minister in a predominantly Muslim culture, he zeroes in on two compelling reasons. First, there’s the potential for long-term gospel influence.

“Because our school teaches in Arabic, we’ve had the opportunity to train Lebanese, Egyptians, and men from Sudan,” M.S. said. “And we’re not just training men from those places and for those places, we’re also giving them training they can’t get anywhere else in Arabic. There's literally nobody doing what we're doing across these countries, and that gives us the opportunity to change the direction of so many churches. We’re seeing some fruit of that influence now, but I don’t think we’ll see the greatest fruit of it for years, even decades to come.”

For encouragement to stay the course, M.S. often looks to John MacArthur’s years as a pastor. All the fruit of his ministry—the growth of Grace Community Church, the training at The Master’s University and Seminary, the explosion of TMAI—didn’t happen overnight. It took decades of faithful ministry on his part, and by so many faithful co-laborers around him. In an age of instant gratification, it’s tough to take the long view of any endeavor, including ministry. But by prioritizing preaching and pastoral ministry, M.S. knows the training center he leads will still be reaping a harvest decades from now as its graduates continue to spread across the Middle East.

The second reason M.S. says the theologically trained should learn Arabic and minister in the Middle East has nothing to do with impact. Instead, it’s about worship.

“Christ is worthy,” M.S. said. “He is worthy of any sacrifice. It can certainly be hard living in the Middle East, yet these temporary afflictions are bringing forth an eternal weight of glory. The cost benefit ratio to me is very significantly lopsided. It can be challenging, but to see what God is doing raising up more churches and to have the unique privilege of being part of that is worth it all. If what’s most important to you is a secure, happy ministry where your kids are growing up in suburbia, you will not be happy in the Middle East. But if what truly matters to you is giving your life away for a worthy God in a place where your work can impact many more churches than you would impact in the States, then you will love ministry in the Middle East.”