RICHMOND, Va. – A Muslim Somalian refugee who later grew to become a Christian missionary has burdened the necessity for church buildings to do extra to evangelize america’ rising Islamic inhabitants.
Osman Jama of the group Mission to North America’s Refugee and Immigrant Ministry, was one in every of two audio system at a seminar held Tuesday afternoon on the Presbyterian Church in America’s 51st Basic Meeting.
Titled “From Islam to Christian Ministries: Journeys of Two PCA Men,” the seminar featured Jama speaking about his Islamic upbringing and the way he got here to Christ in 2007 whereas dwelling in Minnesota.
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In an interview with The Christian Put up, Jama defined that whereas Christians in America “really do well studying,” they have to be extra energetic in evangelizing nonbelievers.
“We take our personal discipleship and personal growth very seriously, but we are also commissioned to go make disciples of all the nations, and in that, we are called not just to study but to go,” mentioned Jama.
“The go part is also important. I think we do a really good job of sending others, but my personal belief is that everyone is called to evangelism, there are just different talents and callings. Some are called to the Middle East, some are called to Europe, but others are called to be here, to do evangelism with their neighbors, and to go across the street as much as across the country or across the continent.”
Jama famous throughout his presentation that when his household discovered of his turning into a Christian, they disowned him and successfully lower him off from all communication.
Jama instructed CP that, within the years since, his fast and prolonged household continued to refuse to talk with him, one of many few exceptions being when one in every of his sisters knowledgeable him in regards to the dying of his mother and father.
The occasion was initially going to additionally characteristic Hamid Hatami, who, in February, grew to become the primary Iranian American from a Muslim background to be ordained a instructing elder within the PCA.
Hatami needed to cancel as a consequence of well being points, with Iranian Pastor Ramtin Soudmand, whose household was Christian and his father was martyred in Iran years in the past, giving remarks by way of a livestream.
Soudmand talked in regards to the state of persecution in trendy Iran, noting that the persecution of Christians elevated significantly when the Islamic Republic took management in 1979.
When requested by CP if the current political upheavals in Iran impacted his ministry work, Soudmand replied that “nothing changes for us” and that the federal government’s reported reform efforts ” were just for show.”
The seminar was one of many taking place during the PCA General Assembly, held June 10-14 at the Richmond Convention Center and championing the theme of “Knit Together.”
PCA Stated Clerk Bryan Chapell said in a welcome letter to General Assembly attendees that the gathering will “highlight the ways our denomination is knit together in our common beliefs in the authority of Scripture, the Reformed faith, and the Great Commission.”
“We will gather from across the PCA to hear what God is doing in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ — and to listen with humility, courage, gospel affection, and mutual honor for His corporate direction,” wrote Chapell.
When asked by CP about what he hoped seminar attendees would take away from the event, Jama pointed out that Voice of the Martyrs considers his native Somalia to be “one of the hardest places to reach” unbelievers in the world.
“That is tough soil,” Jama said, adding, “if God can reach me, He can reach any of them. The question I would pose to everyone who attended is how is God calling you to be a part of that?”
“Well bless their hearts.”
