Middle Eastern Emerging Ministries

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Presbyterian Middle Eastern Americans trace the origin of their faith to the apostolic age and their Reformed roots to Presbyterian missions in the Middle East in the 19th Century.

There are currently more than 50 Middle Eastern Presbyterian congregations and fellowships in the United States worshiping in the Arabic, Armenian, Assyrian and Farsi languages.

The office of Middle Eastern Emerging Ministries provides spiritual and organizational services to enhance the ministry of Middle Eastern Presbyterian congregations and fellowships in the United States.

Ordinations underscore work of Middle Eastern Ministries | Learn more

Magdy Girgis - Field Staff for Middle Eastern Ministries

Rev. Dr. Magdy B. Girgis joined the Presbyterian Mission Agency ministry area of Racial Ethnic and Women's Ministries as the Field Staff for Middle Eastern Ministries in the Office of New Immigrants and Emerging Ministries. His responsibilities include working in partnership with mid councils to develop and grow Middle Eastern new worshiping communities and their leadership. In addition, he will identify social justice inequities and act as a bridge for dialogue, promoting educational and cultural understanding of Middle Eastern issues in partnership with the National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus and other groups. Magdy is a board-certified chaplain at Vitas Hospice Care in California. He will serve part-time as the Field Staff for Middle Eastern Ministries as deployed staff while continuing to reside in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Afaf and two children, their son, David, and their daughter, Sarah. In addition to English, Magdy speaks his native language, Arabic.

Magdy brings to this position “the characteristics of leadership development, communication skills, partnership, wide and diverse administrative experiences, and proficiency in various fund development efforts.” He is committed to understanding the goal of igniting the movement to grow 1001 new worshiping communities “by investing a good time of my life in leading missions and developing local evangelism, which is what my life is centered around because it is my passion.”

Click here for the latest resources for Middle Eastern Worshiping Communities.

OVERLAND PARK – These days, it’s too easy to examine the contemporary Middle East with a singular focus, seeing only on the war, strife, poverty and suppression of religious and civil freedoms that we read about in the news daily. It’s also too easy to forget that God’s love transcends cultures, language and land. One event this week will serve as a reminder of the power of that transcendence.

Two congregations will meet in celebration of a milestone for one Egyptian ministry candidate when Amgad Megally will be ordained by the Delta Presbytery and the Synod of the Nile in Egypt at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 11100 College Blvd. in Overland Park. All members of the AC of Arabic Presbyterian Fellowship and the Heartland Presbytery are encouraged to attend.

The Arabic Presbyterian Fellowship, a spiritual and social ministry designed for Arabs in Kansas City, is supervised by Heartland Presbytery (PCUSA). The AFP meets the spiritual needs of its congregation by providing worship services, counseling, social activities and even assistance for immigrants and refugees from the Middle East. The APF meets for worship at 5 p.m. Sundays at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church, 9300 Nall Ave. in Overland Park.

Reverends from Grace Covenant, Rolling Hills, APF and the Synod of the Nile will preside over Saturday’s service of ordination.  Jonas Hayes, pastor at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Overland Park and an AFP AC member, says Megally’s ordination will significantly benefit AFP’s growth, both in its congregation numbers and in its outreach to other Christian Arabs living in the Kansas City metro area.  “Amgad’s ordination will make this ministry more visible to the community as a whole because there’s more emphasis placed on ordination,” he says. “It adds credibility to the ministry, and it shows he has received his required education – he’s successfully met the requirements to be recognized as an ordained minister.”  Hayes says the academic rigors on the path to ordination make Megally’s accomplishment even more remarkable. On a personal level, the ordination holds powerful meaning as well.  “I didn’t think I would experience this in my lifetime,” Hayes adds. “Amgad is such a wonderful, kind, thoughtful spiritual leader.”  Megally summarizes his own commitment for his fellowship through a familiar Bible verse in Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Additionally, Megally says he hopes his ordination will deepen his relationship with God and “open new doors in American churches.”  "I've been waiting for this event many years since I've said yes to the spiritual calling,” he says.  “My ordination will (make official) my theological and pastoral studies in ETSC ( Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo Egypt) and work as a pastor to have authority to celebrate the Baptism, Lord's Supper and Ministry.”  Following his ordination on Saturday, Amgad has plans to immediately expand the scope of AFP’s ministry, including an outreach program for new immigrants. According to Hayes, Amgad also has applied for an extended unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s Health System, which will begin this fall.  For more information, e-mail church@arabchurchkc.org or call (913) 735-3512.   

Contact: Rev. Jonas Hayes, pastor and head of staff, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Jonas.hayes@gcgc.org

Dr. George Shaker Elyas (Vice President of the Evangelical Church of Egypt & Moderator of the Presbyterian

Synod of the Nile), Rev. Refat Fathy Gergis, General Secretary of the Synod of the Nile and Rev. Dr. Jan

Edmiston, Associate Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Chicago

 Middle Eastern New Worshiping Communities