October 8, 2015

Has Lebanon finally figured out its own version of the ‘Arab Spring’? هل توصّل لبنان أخيرًا إلى إصداره الخاص لـ’الربيع العربي‘؟

By Martin Accad I was travelling when the recent popular uprising began in Lebanon. At first it emerged as an outcry to the trash crisis that has been engulfing Lebanon with its stench for several months now. Lebanon hasn’t had its ‘Arab Spring.’ Some people think that’s because – God […]
July 30, 2015

“The World Is Yours!” A Brief Reflection on Citizenship and Stewardship

By Martin Accad Yesterday morning, I collected my daughter’s U.S. passport that needed renewal. It was accompanied by a leaflet that read on the front: “With your U.S. passport, the world is yours!” Nothing shocking on first glance; just a sense of pride and patriotism that citizens of most countries […]
July 24, 2015

Responding to Franklin and the Politics of Fear

By Arthur Brown And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one […]
July 16, 2015

Notes from my Visit to Iraqi Kurdistan

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit a dozen of pastors in Iraqi Kurdistan, in the cities of Erbil and Duhok. The purpose of my visit was to promote ABTS’s educational programs with Arabic-speaking churches, namely our new online degree program and our English language Master’s program. We […]
July 9, 2015

Jesus and the Overthrow of Religion

by Mike Kuhn Having grown up in the West, I was aware that a trend emerged in the post-World Wars era towards a rejection of religion.  The brutality and sheer evil of the World Wars led many to reject belief in God.  If God is good and all-powerful, how could […]
July 2, 2015

Choosing Our Battles: brief reflections from the Middle East on homosexuality and the “marriage equality” controversy

By Martin Accad Normally the LGBTQ[1] issue is not one that I like to address in public. But since last week’s legalization of gay marriage at Federal level in the US, we have all been flooded by the topic, from the social media to private conversations. Whatever you say, you’re […]
June 24, 2015

Discipleship Today: Identity and Belonging in the Middle East and North Africa

By Arthur Brown Last week [15-19 June], IMES hosted its second consultation on the theme of discipleship in the MENA region. This year’s consultation, Discipleship Today: Identity and Belonging in the Middle East and North Africa, attracted representatives from 28 countries, including: Algeria, Tanzania, Iraq, Bangladesh, Singapore, the Netherlands, Syria, […]
June 12, 2015

Touching the Heart of a Refugee

by Kathryn Kraft A few weeks ago, I was sharing with a friend at my church in London about my research with churches in Lebanon. As Rupen Das described in a post several months ago, many churches in Lebanon are providing assistance including food, blankets, clothing, or education, to refugees, most […]