Shadi: ChangeMaker in Lebanon  

The following is an interview with Shadi (and his wife Marcelle), Lebanese ministry leaders at Ras Beirut Baptist Church:

“I grew up in the Maronite faith, which is basically Catholic, but I was forbidden by my father to go to the evangelical church. When I was fourteen, I was saved through the influence of my grandfather. I accepted Christ then kicked out of my church. At eighteen I became involved in an evangelical church without my father’s knowledge and began serving in a church in north Lebanon with my wife Marcelle, who became a believer at the age of nine at a traditional evangelical church. 

“After 30 years of ministry we moved from North Lebanon and began attending Ras Beirut Baptist Church, where Charlie (Costa) serves and where we became more involved in ministry, especially discipleship. Our approach to discipleship is one-to-one, life-on-life discipleship instead of groups and workbook assignments to complete. We’re involved in relief programs with families of mostly Lebanese backgrounds like Shia, Druze, and traditional Christians.

“Our goal is not to finish a series of lessons but to build relationships through four to six months of one-on-one discipleship. We help families to accept Jesus as their Savior then become rooted in the gospel while focusing on their spiritual well being, soul, body, and spirit. 

“Because many Lebanese are experiencing the effects of the evil spiritual world on their lives, we help with their “inner healing” so people can be freed from demonic possession. So instead of discussing what is right and wrong about their religion, we listen to their beliefs then begin talking about the gospel, which is a personal relationship that’s not about money or status or who you know. That seems very strange to them. They’ve never heard things like this, but then they begin to understand the differences in their beliefs versus Christianity. 

“Those in the “Druze” sect, which is totally related to Islam, have a deep connection to their religion that gives them their community, identity and status, so we don’t focus on their spiritual affiliation but the heart. Those we disciple can’t openly share with their families or anyone that they are changing their religions, and we support that because they will lose the support of their communities. 

“We build the relationship by starting the discussion of why we exist. We can’t start with Jesus because they don’t believe in him, so we ask questions like, “Why are you here?” or “Why did God create man?”

“We begin in Genesis one through three and explore how we’re created to have a personal relationship with God. We tell them they will never reach the end of this relationship, which they don’t have a reference point for at all. I present and show that Christianity is the most logical religion on earth. You can reject the logic, but its existence is irrefutable. Marcelle and others will be starting a women’s discipleship soon with the same basic principles but that addresses their own unique needs.”

Pray for Shadi and Marcelle as they build relationships and teach the truth of God’s Word in culturally uniquely ways.