A young couple began visiting the Arabic Fellowship of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham, in Birmingham Baptist Association. Their interest in the church and the Bible grew, and eventually they asked the church to hold a monthly Bible study at their house.
Then the woman, who had limited use of one of her arms, had a baby. When her limited arm use made caring for a newborn difficult, one of the women from the church went to help her virtually every day for an entire year. The new mother said, “If your church people are like this, then this is where I should be on a regular basis.”
Though the couple haven’t yet decided to follow Jesus, the practical love of the fellowship is gradually moving them closer.
Sense of community
Stories like this characterize the Arabic congregation, which was founded by Lebanon-born Rizcallah Constantine after he moved to Birmingham in 1980. It reaches out to Arabic speakers of many backgrounds, who number between 2,500 and 3,500 in Birmingham, according to John Constantine, the current pastor and son of the founding pastor.
The younger Constantine became pastor in the 1990s, when his parents were ill and had to take a break from the ministry. Since then, the congregation has worked to cultivate a sense of community, family and partnership in the church.
“We had to really know and experience His active and genuine love among ourselves first; then we are ready to present it to the world around us,” Constantine said.
Since its founding, the fellowship has met for corporate worship Sunday afternoons at Dawson Memorial Baptist. On Wednesday evenings, the congregation meets for Bible study in a member’s home.
The members realize that because of cultural inhibitions, few people will seek out their fellowship, so instead they take the gospel to the people.
Each month, there is a churchwide gathering in a different home to eat together, hold a worship service and just hang out. Often members bring Muslim friends or friends from a nominal Christian background who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.
“We don’t have a visitation program,” Constantine explained. “But everyone is encouraged — and most are actively involved — to interact where they are with friends, neighbors and relatives. … [I]t’s common to hear someone share how God opened the door or how He is using them to reach someone with the love of Christ.”
Prayer is vital to the life of the congregation, he said. Each week, a different family from the church is the congregation’s focus family for prayer that whole week.
“There are many testimonies to share of how God touched the family in focus during that week and ministered to their needs,” Constantine said.
Families also are faithful to spend time with each other outside of official gatherings.
“I can truthfully say that not a single evening goes by without somebody visiting at someone else’s home,” he said.
The sense of family shows. A recent visitor commented to a friend: “This church in Birmingham is like a big family; they care for each other, prefer each other and love each other like a real family.”
Gary Fenton, pastor of Dawson Memorial Baptist, said the Arabic group has a “great sense of community in that they minister to each other with a real passion.”
“We are a better church because they are a part of us,” Fenton said. “They continue to make us aware of our Great Commission responsibility.”
In addition to reaching out to the Arab community in Birmingham, the church is making an impact on the world.
The fellowship started an Alabama chapter of Health Outreach to the Middle East in 2006 and continues to support that ministry’s medical clinics throughout the Middle East.
It also supports and does missions trips through Voice of Preaching the Gospel, a ministry that includes radio broadcasts to reach Arabic speakers worldwide. Work has also been done in Indianapolis, home to a sizeable Arab population.
In addition, Constantine travels to help other pastors and churches understand Arabic ministry and how to reach out to Muslims with the love of Christ.
Though he isn’t aware of any other Arabic congregations in Alabama, his congregation has done outreach in Mobile, where a women’s group now is meeting monthly.
Praying for more
“I know there are (a) few Arabic speakers scattered in many cities throughout Alabama,” Constantine said. “Most of them are college and university students; there are a few who work in grocery or clothing stores. The Birmingham church is praying that the Lord will open the door at the right time to reach out to those as well.”
For more information, visit www.nouralinjil.org or call John Constantine at 205-222-3134 or Rizcallah Constantine at 205-979-7702.
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