Six Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) agency heads have joined the denomination’s president in calling for a day for prayer for Muslims Dec. 16.
Top executives of the SBC Executive Committee, International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, LifeWay Christian Resources, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and national Woman’s Missionary Union joined SBC president James Merritt in a Nov. 30 letter asking Christians to pray that God would “reveal Himself” to Muslims at the end of Ramadan, Islam’s holy month.
Ramadan ends Dec. 16 or 17, depending on the sighting of the new moon. During the holy month, Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
Merritt said Christians should join in the time of fasting observed by Muslims and pray that devout Muslims will “come to Christ” as they spend an entire night in prayer asking God to speak to them.
A spokesman for the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) told Associated Baptist Press it is insensitive to evangelize among other faiths during their high holidays.
“We continue to believe that it is disrespectful to target faith groups for conversion during their holy seasons,” said Brian Ross, NCCJ executive vice president.
“This is of particular concern during this time of global instability, when many Muslims in the United States have been targeted with hate messages and hate crimes,” Ross said.
(Compiled from wire services)
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