ChangeMaker in Jordan: Bro. Fadi

The following is an interview with a Jordanian ministry leader, Fadi, who is on staff at Zarka Baptist Church:

It was at the end of my engineering studies at the age of twenty that a close friend came to Christ and I noticed a great change in his life that touched my life. At that point I had never read the Bible and didn’t know about the four Gospels or anything else. I had been raised in Christian schools, but the Islamic faith was taught to us. 

Because of my friend, I began to study the Bible, and six months later, I was completely obsessed with the character of Christ and the Savior who came and gave his life for me. I asked God to change my life to serving him, but my family did not accept it. They believed I had been brainwashed, especially my Father, who was an atheist. 

After receiving my university degree and began my professional career as an engineer, I enrolled in a seminary, JETS (Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary). I went in and out of seminary classes because of work requirements. During that time I met my wife Mervat and we have four children, all named with a biblical purpose.

I finished my degree at JETS in 2003 and went into ministry at a school then finished my PhD and my dissertation, which was a comparison of Jihad and Islam and the conquest of Canaan in the Old Testament. It addresses the issue of whether war was ordered by God and the ethics behind this war issue, which is a very troubling thing in the Middle East. Most believe the God of the Old Testament is very aggressive and wants wars. If he’s a loving God, they ask, then why did he order the wars? This is a very troubling issue, especially because of the Arab/Israeli conflict.

Later I began teaching a course on how to share the love of Christ and have been teaching it for almost twenty years. I began writing about how to reach Muslims and how to share the love of Christ and have received training from godly men and by going into the streets and putting it into practice until it became a completed course. I have taught it in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and online. 

Along with Pastor Samer, we have created an online course for believers about how so speak to non-believers who come from a Muslim background. It’s called Arabic Center for Biblical Studies. Because of security issues most students cannot go to the West and study at world class seminaries, so we have developed bachelors and masters degree courses online. All courses are in Arabic. 

Today there are 60 students, not all of whom are Muslim, but all who want to study the Bible. Not all are from Muslim backgrounds and some want just the training instead of a degree so they can better speak to them. This project begins next year, and we’ve been invited to be certified and accredited to teach it by the League for accrediting seminaries. 

My involvement in going to the church in Zarka is an amazing story. I had been going without church for a long time and working as an engineer in Aqaba but decided to leave and take early retirement. We moved back to Jordan and began attending the church, but I had met Pastor Sam when he was one of my students. 

The church has recently had a surge in attendees. Six months ago there were only 25 to 30 people. It has now just exploded and we have a larger group so we need to move. Nothing different was done, except with continued prayers people have been coming and the Holy Spirit has been leading them to Zarka Baptist Church.

We’re enjoying the ride: There are many salvations, baptisms, and people coming back to church who haven’t been in church in several years. Without planning or with any human effort we now have a congregation of around 130 including children. We found favor in God’s eyes. Please prayer that those we’re training will take the lead for the church in the Middle East.