VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 5/15/18)—International Ministries (IM) is delighted to announce that the Rev. Dr. Hikmat Kashouh will be bringing his vibrant and challenging message to the 2018 World Mission Conference.

Dr. Kashouh is no stranger to the long years of civil war in Lebanon or to the amazing multicultural lifestyle that defines his progressive middle-eastern city of Beirut today.

In a cultural context that is as dynamic as any in the world, Kashouh, senior pastor of Resurrection Church of Beirut, is inspiring a growing number of followers of Jesus hailing from backgrounds and religious traditions as diverse as the great city that his church calls home.

Kashouh will be conducting a series of three dynamic Bible Studies based on Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth,” at the World Mission Conference on July 4–8, 2018, at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, Wisconsin. All are welcome to attend, and registration is open now.

“For centuries, Christian communities in the Middle East lived as a beleaguered minority. They fully accepted their lot as one of mere survival,” said the Rev. Dr. Dan Chetti, IM missionary in Lebanon. “However, much to the surprise of many, what we are witnessing in the Middle East is an unprecedented openness to the Christian gospel. In this, Lebanon has become a staging ground for Christian mission in the Arab World.”

In the predominantly Muslim (54%) city of Beirut, it may be surprising to learn that Christianity is growing rapidly (now 40%).* Located in a mixed neighborhood, the Resurrection Church of Beirut has grown from 75 people after the outbreak of Arab Spring in 2011 to 1,200 today. It spreads across three campuses and conducts four services each weekend, making it one of the largest Protestant churches in the Middle East. It operates three hundred home groups in the city of Beirut and cares for hundreds of refugees, migrant workers and at-risk children.

Alongside the church’s many Lebanese members, the congregation also includes followers of Jesus from Kurdish, Syrian and Iraqi backgrounds. Kashouh’s messages are broadcast live via Satellite TV (SAT 7, an IM partner), reaching 4.5 million viewers across the Middle East and North Africa.

Kashouh’s wife, Krista, is an accomplished classical pianist and participates in worship and children’s ministries. The couple has three children.

In addition to Kashouh’s Bible Study series, the 2018 World Mission Conference will feature an array of worship, learning and play opportunities for the whole family at the beautiful Green Lake Conference Center. Daily luncheon table talks will give participants the opportunity for in-depth conversations with dozens of international leaders and global servants. Evening programs will provide inspiring messages about how God is working through mission around the world. At the family-friendly International Marketplace, participants will be able to experience the cultures of many different countries and purchase crafts and products that benefit the people who IM serves. There will be afternoon opportunities for prayer, walks, volleyball, Frisbee golf, boat rides and more.

*Wikipedia, 2018

International Ministries, also known as the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, works cross-culturally to invite people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and to proclaim, through both word and deed, God’s reign of justice, peace and abundant life for all creation.

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.