The ministry of GCMM reaches deep into the heart of the Islamic world. Every year, our Arabic department produces over 1,000 new TV programs in Arabic, Farsi, and the North African region languages – Berber, Tajik, and Sudanese Arabic. 18 satellites broadcast the programs to North Africa’s Islamic region, across the Middle East to the borders of India. Approximately one billion Muslims live in the satellite coverage area.
GCMM programs average 200,000 viewer feedback responses monthly, with over 100 million regular viewers. They are processed in relatively safe centers across the Middle East. Our programs are viewed in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Africa, USA, Australia, Asia, Indonesia, and Europe. We intentionally invest in TV production, as TV programs are central to the culture of Arab and Muslim countries.
In cooperation with regional and local churches, the Arabic Ministry of GCMM has held multimedia evangelism campaigns in several big cities in the Middle East, Israel, Africa, and Asia. With the help of the campaigns, we have reached about a million people. The campaigns have been the “talk of the town” in every city and interest on social media has soared. The organizers have also realized the importance of church involvement in social assistance work.
We have been a part of the bountiful harvesting…though workers are few. Join us, so we can all be involved in this great harvest of souls for Christ together!
Testimonies of God’s Transforming Power
My name is Saher. I am 42 years old, and I am from Iraq. Two years ago, I found faith in Christ through a friend and my sister’s child who watched your TV programs regularly. Over the past two years, and by the goodness of the Lord, I was able to leave my sins behind me. I have been able to get rid of what held me captive and dependent on drugs, alcohol, and other addictions. I have been released from pretty much every imaginable sin.
After coming to know the Lord, I have experienced His presence in my life. The first year I constantly fought sin. Even though the Spirit of God was working in my life, I sinned. I fell but got up again. I felt the Spirit of God in my heart. He stopped me from going back to my former sinful lifestyle.
Jesus Christ is Lord, and I always feel His presence. I know He is continuing His work in me. The Lord freed me from my addictions without having to seek treatment from doctors. His presence was with me the entire time. I am so happy to be free from addiction and for my healing. I am only sad that I didn’t come to faith sooner, to experience the joy of freedom that comes from no longer being a slave to addictions.
My addictive behavior caused me to lose everything, and I’ve been unemployed for a few years. Since I am relatively old, employers are hesitant to employ me. I also have a poor work history due to my years of addiction. During those 11 years, I lost it all. When I came to faith, God’s power enabled me to leave my past behind. Please pray, the Lord provides work with people who are “real”, and for a good work environment. My sister’s daughter gave me your number and suggested I contact you. So, I am asking for your help, to guide me to a better life.
My name is Bahar, and I have come from Syria. May the peace of the Lord be with all of you, dear friends. Despite my father abandoning me, I have been able to experience the closeness of my Heavenly Father when I found faith in Jesus through your TV programs. I felt His embrace when I was arrested and interrogated. I had to choose between Christ and my own family. I continued to feel His embrace when I had to raise my children completely on my own, all the while living with illness.
I live today in exile because of my faith. My current place of refuge has hardships and uncertainties, yet I feel the same embrace of my Heavenly Father even here. My eyes are fixed upon Him and my hands are enclosed in His. The warmth of His love and security is such that I don’t say: “If possible, let this cup pass me by.” Instead, my prayer is: “Hold me closer, despite the challenge of the cups.” My experience with my Heavenly Father espouses security, peace, comfort, and patience.
My experience with my Heavenly Father espouses security, peace, comfort, and patience.
Pastor Brunson imprisoned for the sake of Christ
GCMM’s Arabic ministry team crossed paths with Andrew Brunson in North Africa, where they heard his powerful testimony of being falsely accused and imprisoned in Turkey.
Brunson is an evangelical pastor, who lived in Turkey for 25 years and was the lead pastor in a small Presbyterian church in the city of Izmir. Pastor Brunson and his wife Norine served Syrian refugees in Turkey as well.
In October 2016, the Turkish authorities arrested Brunson and accused him of spying, for helping terrorist organizations and assisting in Turkey’s unsuccessful coup in 2016. He was even threatened with a 35-year sentence and imprisonment. Pastor Brunson consistently denied the charges against him.
“Let it be known,” when he wrote from prison in 2018, “I am not in jail for any wrongdoing, but because of who I am, a Christian Pastor. I believe it is truly an honor to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ as many have done before me.”
“My two years in prison were marked with what I would call the ‘silence of God’, and I had no sense of His presence. My earlier experiences of closeness with Him were so rich and tangible. The departure of His presence was because my heart was so closed to God. I felt a deep sense of woundedness. I was the only Christian in the prison, and the only Christian I was in touch with during those two years was Norine, my wife. I was very lonely and isolated in my faith. I prayed for peace a lot. But I didn’t feel true peace. The grace of God brought me forward, but the strength and determination to find peace and joy were harder to attain than I thought they would be.”
Now that Pastor Brunson has been freed, he wants to see church leaders informed, for effective leadership for the benefit of everyone serving in those areas and for all nations.
GCMM feels this is a worthy effort.
The Arabic Ministry of GCMM aims to continue producing over 1,000 programs in several different languages a year so that through them we can reach as many Islamic nations as possible. Together we can achieve this goal.
When you consider the many challenges that exist when it comes to sharing the Gospel in hard to reach places, it seems incredible that the only barrier we’re facing right now is the need for uninterrupted funding.
That is why we need your help today.
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