This summer hasn’t been the easiest summer for our outreach efforts at my church in Detroit. We were in the middle of trying a new evangelistic Bible study when everything started getting cancelled in March. Pastors and professors wrote the studies. Ladies at the church volunteered to bring food. Church members invited lost friends. A surprising amount of new faces showed up. Then, they couldn’t come back because our church stopped gathering together.

After that, we thought we could engage the community by bringing sanitation kits to each house in our neighborhood. That way we could make contact with the lost in our community, demonstrate love for neighbor, and seek opportunities to share the gospel. We calculated the cost, drafted a proposal, found the supplies, started writing a tract to include in each kit. Then we got hit with a stay-at-home order.

Eventually, for our Sunday morning service, our church started meeting in our parking lot and inside with limited, social-distanced seating. But the question remained—how could we be well-known in our community as a place that takes God and His Word seriously and is marked by Christ-like love while communicating the gospel to the lost correctly, clearly, and consistently?

In May, our outreach pastor wrote some articles entitled “Pandemic Evangelism” to try to equip others during “these unprecedented times.” Some people in our church made their best efforts to call lost friends to check in on how they were doing. Some found that people were more willing to talk because of being shaken up by everything going on. Others found that some of their friends had dropped off the face of the earth. Last month, we tried door-to-door evangelism with our Spread the Word interns. Some of them were met with coronavirus-related resistance, but, for the most part, it was profitable.

This month, we were supposed to have Fall Fest, one of our biggest church-wide outreaches of the year. Last year, hundreds of people came. We had a straw maze, corn pit, hayride, cider, and donuts. Many church members connected with people from the community. Many lost people heard the gospel or were invited to Christianity Explored. This year--cancelled.

But despite the discouragement of things getting cancelled, the annoyance of wearing a mask, and the uncertainty of whether someone will act like a normal pre-2020 human being or spray you with hand sanitizer and run away accusing you of not caring about people’s health when you approach them, there really have been good opportunities for evangelism this year.

My favorite is one-to-one Bible reading. This is how I’ve seen redemptive relationships most regularly built. Before Covid, I met with individuals throughout the week to read the Bible together at restaurants, coffeeshops, or my house. After Covid, I meet with people outside, at parks, or on Zoom. The location may change, but coronavirus can’t stop this outreach.

It’s pretty simple but very effective (and fun). When I meet a lost person, I ask them if they have ever read the Bible? If they say no, I ask how they come up with informed opinions about God, life, or truth without reading the Bible, which is the #1 bestseller in the world that claims to be written by God, and invite them to read it with me. If they say they’ve read parts of the Bible, I ask how they come up with informed opinions about God, life, or truth without reading the whole Bible and invite them to read it with me. If they say they have read the whole Bible, I say, “We should read the Bible together then! I love reading the Bible with people! You will have insights that help me understand things I didn’t understand, and I will have insights that help you understand things you didn’t understand.”

One example began the beginning of February. A man named Nick visited Inter-City. I introduced myself, got his phone number, and invited him to study the Bible with me. Three weeks later, he accepted the invitation, and we met at a library. He had recently started reading the Bible himself for the first time, so we read the next chapter he was going to read together. It was 2 Kings 20. Soon, I recommended we read Mark. We would read a passage, ask each other questions, and I’d try to explain concepts like Jesus coming for those who know they are sick, not those who think they are healthy. Over the next 8 weeks, we read through a portion of Mark each week. After reading Mark, we went through 1 John. We are reading Ephesians now. It has been amazing to see Nick’s eyes open as God gave him understanding. Nick went from believing that he wasn’t a bad sinner and not knowing clearly who Jesus was, to saying he wants to follow Jesus because obviously he is the only one who can save!
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Coronavirus can’t stop this. God’s Word will powerfully accomplish his purpose whether it’s heard in a church auditorium or over a Zoom call. That’s why regular exposure to the Bible is so important for evangelism. Who could you invite to read the Bible with you? If this kind of redemptive relationship building seems too difficult for you, check out David Helm’s book One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian, or try reading the Bible with a believing friend first and commit to praying for each other when you try reading the Bible with a lost person. You could also use a booklet that helps you walk through texts of Scripture like Christianity Explored (which now has a free online version for those who can’t meet in person), Uncovering the Life of Jesus by Rebecca Manley Pippert, The God Who Saves by Mark Gilbert, or You, Me, and the Bible by Tony Payne. Anyone can do this. And it can be done any time, even in a pandemic.

Twenty-eight years ago, I moved from BJU–Brokenshire to a Muslim-majority country. I remember my first evenings here. At dusk I would climb onto the roof of an orphanage and hear the muezzins wailing out their calls to prayer. Since then I’ve heard that call some 40,000 times, but by the grace of God it still brings a lump to my throat. The first line of the call says, “Allah is great,” but it is the fifth line that grips me deeply: “Hasten to the salvation!” This saddens me as I consider how many are running to the wrong prophet, but it gives me hope to think about Our Loving Salvation’s finding those who seek Him, even if they are currently hastening to the wrong direction, knowing not Whom they really need.

As I write this in my study, I count some thirty-some books about Islam on my bookshelves (these are just the ones I’ve decided to keep). I’ve read the Quran, many of the hadith, and histories of the world from an Islamic perspective. I’ve studied Sufism and observed howling dervishes in their tekkes (dizzying stuff!). To learn more about Islam, I prefer going to their bookstores, not ours.
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Beyond my research, I’ve talked to and shared the Gospel with countless Muslims, mystics, and scholars—even former Guantanamo Bay detainees and a few confirmed terrorists. I don’t consider myself an expert on Islam, but I was happy for the invitation to write on this theme—the dos and don’ts of talking to Muslims. I hope it helps:

1. Do talk to Muslims (duh!). I mean, really, why not this week?
2. Don’t worry about saying or doing the wrong thing. Be sincere, sensitive, and filled with the Spirit, and God will use you.
3. This may sound counter-intuitive, but don’t feel like you have to get right into a Gospel presentation. Yes, you will at some point, and God will lead you there (super)naturally; but I have heard the testimonies of more converts from Islam who were impacted by a devout, “low pressure” Christian who loved them sincerely, than by a fiery debater who could answer all their objections with aplomb.
4. Do pray for them as you interact. You might be the first Christian ever to be praying for them specifically by face and by name.
5. Do tell them you are a devout Christian and that you pray every day. Ask them if there is anything you can pray for them about. You can even pray with them. Kneel or pray prostrate, and thus shatter any preconceived notions that Muslims are the only ones who reverence God sufficiently.
6. Do treat your Bible with utmost respect—always—but especially in their presence.
7. Don’t discuss politics. Just don’t. If it happens, and if incendiary things are said to you, remember that a soft answer turns away wrath. They may be testing you.
8. The love of God is palpably absent in their dogma, so do love on them actively. Many Muslim-background believers testify that God’s love in His people was the light that drew them. Don’t just love them in hopes you can convert them. Love them because God is love and we are called to love without strings attached.
9. Don’t prepare yourself theologically before interacting with them. This is not a typo! Yes, I am the guy with thirty books on my shelves, and I am begging you to just go talk to Muslims. I think it is better to talk to thirty Muslims before reading books about them. After all these years, I still don’t feel adequately prepared in apologetics. That feeling may never come. It is OK. Talk to Muslims now.
10. If you’ve already studied Islam, don’t assume that all Muslims believe what you’ve been told they believe. Once I told a guy, “I know you don’t believe Jesus was crucified, but …”. He interrupted, “Yes we do!”. I argued back, “Well, actually, your Quran says Jesus was not crucified, and most Islamic scholars believe Judas was substituted in his place.” As the words so “eruditely” wafted from my mouth, I think I felt the Holy Spirit kicking me, whispering with His sweet small voice, “Dear child, have you lost your mind? Are you trying to talk him out of believing on me?!”  The guy replied again, “Of course Jesus was crucified, didn’t you see the film on TV last week?!” Do you get my point here? Don’t rely on your education so much that you forget that you are talking to an individual who has his own unique worldview! Discover his or her beliefs. Which brings me to this:
11. Do ask questions and listen to their answers. I find that listening is more fruitful than talking, especially in the beginning. It is hard for me to lead someone from Point A to Point B if I have no idea where Point A is. Ask questions about themselves and their families. Are they from another country? Ask them about it! Their favorite foods, their culture, etc. Eventually and intentionally, ask questions about their faith. Remember that “a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” So use questions. Jesus did often. What about sin? What about the promise of eternal life? Ask about how God can be both just and merciful at the same time. (Spoiler alert: they have no solution on that point—but we do; see Romans 3:21-26). By asking questions, they often realize they don’t have an answer, and ask, “Well what do you Christians believe about that?” To which you reply, “Oh, how nice that you asked …”.
12. Don’t unnecessarily generate heat! Offer them light. For example, is the Allah of the Quran the God of the Bible? Of course not. But I have never seen fruit when Christians accuse Muslims of worshipping a false god. Why go there?
13. In all your loving, talking, and acts of kindness, do not avoid discussing deeper theology or fear losing the friendship. The identity of Christ, His death, and His resurrection are the core points of debate, and we must go there at some point. As early as possible in my interactions, I sow this seed, a question: “God is sovereign! I think He can do anything He wants--anything!--to show His great wisdom and power. Do you agree?” No Muslim has ever told me no. Later, if they tell you “God cannot become a man,” you may recall that they agreed with you previously that God really can do anything.
14. Do be careful with your terminology. If you say “white” and they hear “black,” will it help? This is why it is so important to listen to their theological language and understanding. For example, many Muslims believe that “the Son of God” is our erroneous idea that God had sexual relations with Mary and created Jesus. So when a Muslim asks me, “Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God,” I usually answer, “I do NOT believe God had sexual relations with a woman …” By so doing, I keep myself in the conversation instead of being written off immediately as a blasphemer, like a plane shot down on the runway. Simultaneously, I challenge the stereotype he was conditioned to believe and create a window to explain what our Holy Book does teach about the deity of Christ.
15. Do prepare to begin loving Muslim people more and to feel your burden for them grow.
16. Finally, do remember that God loves Muslims more than we do. He is drawing them to Himself—even now. Remember that no mistakes we make—not even our failures to explain the Gospel clearly or to answer their objections capably—are so grave that the person will be lost on our account. God can even use our gaffes as instruments of His grace, because He is GREAT. I am reminded of this as least five times every day of my life.

Mass Muslim Conversions

We Christians have a problem. For over 1,200 years there was no movement of Muslims to Christ. Muhammad died in 632 A.D., but his new religion spread and thrived, unhindered. That is until the 19th century onward. David Garrison in his book, A Wind in the House of Islam, explains that a movement of Muslims to Christ means, “at least 1,000 baptized believers of the past one or two decades or 100 new churches are established over the same time frame within a given people group or ethnic Muslim community.”[1]

The Christians’ problem is not the lack of movements to Christ from 632-1870, but rather the explosion of conversions from 1870 to the present. There were two movements in the 19th century, eleven movements in the 20th. century, and now in the 21st century there have been sixty-nine movements (recorded from 2000-2012).[2]

So what are the exact numbers of converts today? This is hard to say. According to strict figures, in North America alone, there are estimated to be 493,000 Believers from a Muslim Background (hereafter BMBs), and worldwide that figure grows to 985,300.[3] 

Due to persecution and anonymity, it is difficult to estimate the actual number of Muslims coming to faith in Christ. Some have suggested that in Iran alone, there are as many as one million converts, though more conservative figures estimate around 450,000.[4] According to David Garrison, there has never been a time in history wherein so many Muslims have come to faith in Christ (his figures are somewhere between two and seven million).[5]

So why are the number of conversions a problem for Christians? It is because we are called to disciple them, and we are not equipped to do so. When Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all that he commanded us (Matt. 28:19-20), this includes all of these new converts. Those from a western background, who are not familiar with the impact of the Islamic primary sources (Qur’an, Hadith, Sirat) and Muslim culture on BMBs, are faced with unique challenges to fulfill Jesus’ commandment. We must prepare ourselves for this harvest and its unique challenges.

I have been in ministry among Muslims now for over 20 years (during this exponential growth of BMBs). My ministry has primarily been among Kurmanji speaking Kurds, Persians, Zazas, and Turks. I found apologetics and evangelism among Muslims to be much easier than with westerners. Muslims want to talk about the two taboos in the West—politics and religion. They usually bring up the subject of religion first, and almost every encounter with a Muslim may lead to answering their objections to Christianity and presenting the gospel. Let’s look at some fresh research on how Muslims are coming to Christ and the implications.
 
Factors that Led Muslims to Christ

In 2019, I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation concerning discipling BMBs. Part of my research was surveying missionaries and BMB pastors concerning their experience of how Muslims are coming to faith.

According to my research, the most influential factor that led Muslims to Jesus was exposure to the Bible via reading or listening. The second most influential factors that led Muslims to Jesus were dreams and visions. What is interesting was the least influential factor leading Muslims to Jesus was street evangelism/preaching (this maybe because it is rarely being done in the Muslim world). The second least influential factor that led Muslims to Jesus was visiting a physical church building.

What this tells me is that we need to get God’s word into the hands of Muslims, challenge them to read it, and read it with them. If they cannot read, find audio versions for them to listen to. We should also continue to pray that God would reveal himself in dreams and visions. I personally have seen many Muslims have their first encounter with Christ in this way too. However, it is not the vision or dream of Christ that saves them. The Muslim thereafter finds a church/missionary/Bible, and then upon hearing and believing the gospel is saved, for the gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:17).

When it comes to the least influential factor that has led Muslims to Christ, maybe we need more winsome and equipped street preachers and bold evangelists in the Muslim world. However, it is clear that there needs to be an emphasis on getting God’s word into the hands of Muslims. As missionaries give out Bibles/SD cards with the Bible on it,  they must teach the Bible’s trustworthiness along with how to read it.
 
Bible Left on a Park Bench

Mahmut, a deacon of our church in Istanbul, came to faith by discovering a New Testament on a park bench near his home. Mahmut began to read the Bible and thought to himself that its message was not bad, and the teachings of the book were loving and peaceful. This was surprising to him, because he was reared with Muslim indoctrination, which taught that anything Christian was bad. The more he read, the more he learned that what he had been taught was not true. Eventually, he met some Christians and later professed faith in Christ.

Around fifteen years after finding the New Testament on the bench, Mahmut, through a ministry outreach that our church helped organize, met the woman who accidentally left the Bible there. During the outreach, Mahmut recounted how he came to faith, beginning with finding a New Testament on a park bench. This woman immediately came to him and asked, “where did you find this Bible, what year was this, and what time of year?” After their conversation, she had remembered accidentally leaving the New Testament there at that park on that bench on that date. She did not know about Mahmut’s story or the fruit of her forgetfulness until that day!
 
“Go to the Church and ask for a Bible.”

The first time I ever translated in my life was the testimony of a Turkish pastor. We met at a Bible school in Ephesus, and I was translating so that my mother could understand. This pastor recounted that he grew up in a Muslim family and had never met a Christian or read a Bible. However, it all changed the night Jesus visited him in a dream. In the dream, Jesus said to him, “you have read the Qur’an (pointing to a Qur’an in his room), but you have not yet read my book. Go to ….. city, and you will find a church. Go into the church and ask for a Bible.” The Turkish pastor said he listened to Jesus, went to the city that was told him, and found the church. He was nervous about going in and asking for a Bible. It just so happened that the pastor of the church felt a prompting to put in an extra Bible into his bag that very morning. When this young Turkish Muslim man asked him for a Bible and explained the dream, the pastor then understood. It was at this church and through this pastor that this young Muslim man first heard the gospel and received his first Bible. Jesus did reveal himself to this man, but it was through the ordinary proclamation of the gospel and intentional discipleship that this Muslim came to Christ.

Who is to say that we are not living in the last days as prophesied by Joel? “. . . [A]nd your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. . .” (Joel 2:28). What is clear is that the Muslim world needs Christians that will make themselves available for this great new harvest.

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[1] David Garrison, A Wind in the House of Islam, (Monument CO: WIGTake Resources, 2014),
37.
[2] Ibid., 226. 
[3] Duane Alexander Miller, and Patrick Johnstone, “Believers in Christ from a Muslim     Background: A Global Census,” Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion 11:10 (2015).
[4] Samuel Smith, “Over 450,000 Join Iranian House Church Movement, 'Great Number of Muslims Turning to Christ',” The Christian Post, March 3, 2016, Accessed January 2, 2017, http://www.christianpost.com/news/over-450000-join-iranian-house-church-movement-great-number-of-muslims-turning-to-christ-158883/
[5] Garrison, 5.