God Is Rebuilding His Church in Egypt

In a country where ancient Christian roots stretch deep into the soil, a quiet revival is beginning to blossom once again. Egypt, the land that once gave rise to towering theological giants like Athanasius and Cyril, is now witnessing a fresh wave of biblical reformation one grounded in the gospel, shaped by Scripture, and faithful to the historic doctrines of grace.

For many, this may come as a surprise. Egypt, predominantly Muslim, is home to about 10 percent Coptic Christians and a small Protestant minority roughly 1 percent of the population. But something remarkable is happening. God is moving in Egypt, and He is doing it through sound doctrine, faithful teaching, and a growing hunger for biblical truth.

A Student Transformed

Kirollos, a young man from Alexandria, was like many Christians shaped by a man-centered gospel and cultural tradition. But when he joined a local Bible study on the book of Romans, everything changed. The truths of God's sovereignty, grace, and mercy captured his heart. That study led him to embrace Reformed theology and enroll in the Alexandria School of Theology (AST), where he was trained to teach and live out the faith he had newly discovered. Now, as he prepares to graduate, he joins a growing number of believers equipped to shepherd the next generation in Egypt.

His story, once rare, is no longer unique.

Egypt’s Long Decline

Christianity in Egypt has a long and complicated history. In the early centuries, it was a center of theological brilliance. But following the Chalcedonian controversy in the fifth century and the Muslim conquest in the seventh, the Egyptian church became isolated, and much of its theological clarity faded.

The Protestant presence in Egypt began with missionaries first Moravian, then Anglican, and finally American Presbyterians in the mid-1800s. For a time, the fruit of their labor was strong: vibrant churches, solid biblical literature, and a theological seminary that taught the Westminster Confession of Faith. Yet by the late 20th century, the Protestant church had drifted. Reformed theology was all but forgotten, replaced with the prosperity gospel, liberal theology, and shallow teaching.

Man-centered messages took the pulpit. Expository preaching gave way to motivational slogans. Biblical literacy declined. Reformed doctrines once foundational were now seen as harsh or irrelevant. The need for reformation was urgent.

A New Reformation Begins

But God was not done with Egypt.

In 2005, the Alexandria School of Theology was established under the Anglican Church, led by a missionary from the Presbyterian Church in America. AST became a new wellspring of Reformed teaching and biblical training. Through its lectures, classes, and graduates, the gospel message of God’s sovereign grace began to spread once more.

One of the churches transformed by this resurgence is Sidi Beshr Kebly Presbyterian Church in Alexandria. It was here that Kirollos first encountered the doctrines of grace. AST-trained elders helped shift the church’s theology toward a biblical, gospel-centered framework. Expository preaching became the norm. The five solas were taught. God's sovereignty was exalted.

Despite pushback often from within the wider church community this congregation and others like it have remained united, holding fast to Scripture as their authority.

Publishing and Proclaiming the Truth

In 2014, four lecturers at AST formed a ministry named El-Soora (Arabic for "The Standard," from Romans 6:17), committed to spreading Reformed theology throughout Egypt and the Arabic-speaking world. They began by publishing books, hosting conferences, and producing multimedia resources.

One of their earliest events featured theologian Don Carson teaching in Alexandria. Since then, El-Soora has partnered with trusted ministries like The Gospel Coalition, Ligonier, 9Marks, Crossway, and others to translate and distribute biblically sound resources in Arabic.

Where once good Christian books in Arabic were nearly impossible to find, now many of the great classics of the Reformed faith by Spurgeon, Edwards, Calvin, Piper, and more are being translated and printed. In addition to translation, local Egyptian leaders are writing their own resources, rooted in both Scripture and the context of the Arab world.

An annual Reformed conference launched in 2019 has grown each year, drawing 350 attendees in the most recent gathering. At these events, leaders are introduced to faithful doctrine, encouraged in ministry, and resourced with solid teaching for their churches.

A Movement Grows

Though the number of Reformed Christians in Egypt is still small, the growth is undeniable. Twenty years ago, they may have numbered in the tens. Today, they are in the hundreds and growing. And it's not just numbers. It’s depth.

Egyptian leaders are now planting churches, writing hymns based on Scripture, teaching in seminaries, and mentoring future pastors. They are embracing the gospel not just as a theological system, but as the heartbeat of a new way of life. They are pushing back against shallow teaching, against cultural confusion, and against the drift away from biblical truth.

What Egypt Teaches Us

This story is not just Egypt’s story it’s a picture of what God does when His Word is recovered. The gospel doesn’t need favorable conditions. It doesn’t require a majority. It only needs faithful men and women who will trust it, teach it, and live it.

When Acts opens, the church had only 120 people. Yet the gospel spread to the ends of the Roman world. Why? Because the power was never in their numbers it was in the Word of God and the Spirit of God. That same Spirit is working in Egypt today.

Pray for the Harvest

In a nation of over 110 million people, the need is great. Healthy, gospel-centered churches are still rare. Many believers cannot find a place where the Scriptures are faithfully preached and Christ is clearly proclaimed. The harvest is plentiful. But the laborers are few.

Will you pray? Pray that God continues to raise up teachers, pastors, and evangelists in Egypt and the Arab world. Pray for boldness and protection. Pray that the gospel would spread not only through seminaries and pulpits but through everyday conversations and quiet faithfulness.

And let this encourage your heart: God is building His church even in places long considered spiritually dry. The gates of hell will not prevail against it.

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