LEVEL 3 (EMBARGO UNTIL 11 JANUARY 2018) WWL 2018 Church History and Facts –

How many ?

Pop 2017 Christians Chr%

95,215,000 9,521,500 10

Source: OD estimate for number of Christians 2017

How did Christians get there?

Christianity has very close connections to Egypt going back to the birth of Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:14- 15). Traditionally, it is believed that it was the Apostle Mark who established the first church in .1 Egypt was also among the first places that Christian emerged as an important part of church life.2 Despite being cut off from other Christian countries for centuries, Coptic Christians remained resilient and autonomous: “Ever since it broke with the Eastern Church in the 5th century (due to disagreements on the nature of the Trinity), the Coptic Orthodox Church has maintained its autonomy, and its beliefs and ritual have remained basically unchanged.”3 The Arab invasion in the 7th century disrupted the growth of in Egypt.

In the 17th century, the Roman Catholic Church entered Egypt through the missionary activity of the Capuchins and Jesuits. In 1847 the Anglicans began working in the country, followed by the US-based Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1854.4 Many other independent church groups and missionaries followed, the most notable being the in 1899.5 The wars in 1956 and 1967 interrupted the work of Protestants, many of whom were forced to leave the country as the government became increasingly hostile towards perceived agents of the West.

1 See http://www.coptic.net/EncyclopediaCoptica/, last accessed 19 April 2016. 2 See http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=dgk, last accessed 19 April 2016. 3 See Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/place/Egypt/Languages#toc43467, last accessed 18 April 2016. 4 See J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedia of , p. 2013. 5 J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedia of Protestantism, p. 2013.

LEVEL 3 (EMBARGO UNTIL 11 JANUARY 2018)

What church networks6 exist today?

Orthodox Catholic Protestant Independent Unaffiliated Double-aff Evangelical Renewalist

To be added later

Source:

In addition to the majority Coptic Orthodox Church (one of the oldest churches in the world), there are currently many other denominations in the country. According to the US State Department, some of the notable Egyptian churches include: Armenian Apostolic, Catholic (Armenian, Chaldean, Greek, Melkite, Roman, and Syrian), Maronite, Orthodox (Greek and Syrian), Anglican/Episcopalian, Presbyterians, , Brethren, Open Brethren, Seventh-day Adventists, Revival of Holiness (Nahdat al-Qadaasa), Faith (Al-Eyman), Church of God, Christian Model Church (Al-Mithaal Al-Masihi), Apostolic, Grace (An- Ni’ma), Pentecostal, Apostolic Grace, Church of Christ, Gospel Missionary (Al-Kiraaza bil Ingil), and the Message Church of Holland (Ar-Risaala)). There is also a small community of converts with a Muslim background.

Religious context (selection)

Ethno- Christian Muslim Hindu Buddhist Jewish Bahai Atheist & others7 religionist 9,521,500

Source: OD estimate for number of Christians

Notes on the current situation

Geographically, Christians reside throughout the country, with higher concentrations in and in the suburbs of and Alexandria. The Church is under constant pressure and Christians enjoy very limited rights and freedom. Christians in the country face multiple challenges including:

• Violent attacks by radical Islamist militants targeting Christians and churches

6 Orthodox: Eastern (Chalcedonian), Oriental (Pre-Chalcedonian, Non-Chalcedonian, Monophysite), Nestorian (Assyrian), and non-historical Orthodox. Roman Catholics: All Christians in communion with the Church of Rome. Protestants: Christians in churches originating in or in communion with the Western world’s 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Includes Anglicans, Lutherans and Baptists (any of whom may be Charismatic) and denominational Pentecostals, but not Independent traditions such as Independent Baptists nor independent Charismatics. Independents: Believers who do not identify with the major Christian traditions (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant). Unaffiliated Christians: Persons professing publicly to be Christians but who are not affiliated to churches. Doubly-affiliated Christians: Persons affiliated to or claimed by 2 denominations at once. Evangelicals: Churches, denominations, and individuals who identify themselves as evangelicals by membership in denominations linked to evangelical alliances (e.g., World Evangelical Alliance) or by self-identification in polls. Renewalists: Church members involved in the Pentecostal/Charismatic/Independent Charismatic renewal in the Holy Spirit. 7 This category includes Atheists, Agnostics and New religionists. LEVEL 3 (EMBARGO UNTIL 11 JANUARY 2018)

• Discrimination by the surrounding (Islamic) society • Land theft and dispossession • Repressive and discriminatory laws imposed by the state.

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