Abdul, who serves a church in Syria, grew up as a Muslim but came to faith in Christ in 2005. In 2014, he and his family fled to a neighbouring country after members of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) attacked his village, killing more than 6,000 people. He remained there for five months, enjoying fellowship with other Christians for the first time.
Experiencing Christian fellowship
“Although I had been a Christian for 10 years,” he said, “I had never attended a church or seen how Christians worship and pray together. This was a turning point for me. I learned how to pray, how to worship and how to practise my faith in a community.”
As Abdul grew in faith, he began to proclaim the gospel to those closest to him, including two relatives, who also came to know Christ. Together, they returned to Syria in 2015 and planted a church in their home village.
Returning to Syria
“When we returned home, something had changed inside me,” Abdul said. “Before fleeing, I was cautious about sharing my faith. As a Muslim-background believer, I had always been careful, evangelising in secret because I feared for my life. But when we came back, I was no longer afraid. I had a newfound boldness, and we began the ministry publicly.”
“What started as a small family gathering quickly became a way to share the gospel with the entire community.”
Abdul began gathering with family members twice a week for worship and fellowship. And after they started a ministry for the children in their families, some of their neighbours began to send their own children as well. “What started as a small family gathering quickly became a way to share the gospel with the entire community,” Abdul said.
Today, Abdul leads the only church in his village, and it is composed solely of Christian converts from Islam. While he knows there are still ISIS fighters in the area, he remains committed to proclaiming the gospel.
Together standing strong in faith
“We must continue to strengthen ourselves and not stop the work,” he said. “One important difference now is that I am not alone. When I first became a believer, even my wife was not a Christian yet. But today, I have a community of believers around me. We encourage one another and stand together in faith.”
Abdul said God’s Word helps him to stand firm when he feels afraid. One verse that has helped him is Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Source: VOM USA
