Christian leaders across the Middle East report a significant rise in spiritual interest, with thousands of people exploring faith in Jesus for the first time. However, they warn that without local discipleship structures, many new believers risk being left without support.
Speaking to the Church Mission Society (CMS), regional Christian leaders described an unprecedented level of spiritual searching, emerging from years of war, displacement, political instability, and global upheaval.
They say the speed and scale of interest in Christianity, especially among people displaced by conflict or disillusioned with corruption, is unlike anything seen in recent generations.
One regional leader, identified only as ‘S’ for security reasons, said the current environment has created a rare openness to the Christian message.
“Everything is shaking, but in the unseen, God has been preparing hearts,” S explained. According to S, this openness began during the Covid-19 pandemic and has continued through subsequent regional and global crises.
Many people encountering Jesus for the first time have done so while fleeing violence or coping with loss. One woman displaced by the war in Syria told the regional leader that losing her home ultimately led her to discover faith in Christ.
While tens of thousands across the region are now engaging with Christianity, leaders say growth is exposing serious gaps in pastoral care and long-term faith formation. In some countries, rising restrictions on religious freedom mean new believers, particularly those from Muslim backgrounds, cannot safely attend traditional churches.
As a result, informal house churches and online Bible studies have expanded, often operating discreetly to avoid persecution.
S said: “They need love, acceptance, a safe community. They need help discovering their identity in God. And many churches in the region simply aren’t equipped for this.”
CMS chief executive and former mission director Andy Roberts explained that the challenge is not a lack of evangelistic response, but the absence of sustained, contextual discipleship.
“There is in a very real sense a discipleship gap growing in the Middle East,” Roberts said. “If we don’t act at this pivotal moment, it could affect the future of the body of Christ there.”
CMS is prioritising support for locally led responses, including training believers to disciple others, investing in emerging leaders who understand the cultural realities of converts, expanding digital outreach, and strengthening small, discreet faith communities.
S stressed the importance of collaboration among Christian organisations. “We cannot continue with ‘business as usual’. The harvest is huge. We must work together in new ways,” she said. “God is connecting modern-day Esthers, Josephs and Daniels, ordinary people with an extraordinary purpose.”
She added that the current moment represents a rare opportunity, calling it “the biggest harvest the world has ever seen.” S urged congregations in the UK and beyond to partner together, combining their strengths to meet the growing needs on the ground.
The regional leader also emphasised that the future of the movement depends on grassroots leadership. “Revival will come from the nameless and faceless, from small groups; they are good, but they need to be connected,” she said.
She concluded: “Evangelism and salvation are important, but growth in Christ is just as important, if not more so. We must nurture the seeds that have been planted, or they will be lost.”
Adapted from Christian Today UK.
