The Church in the Middle East

The evangelical churches in the Middle East were largely established by Reformed missionaries. In recent decades, however, they have been influenced by different unbiblical trends, superficiality, and dead spirituality. Moreover, those of the Reformed persuasion in the region have lacked active fellowship and cooperation with like-minded Christians elsewhere. They needed encouragement from Reformed churches and believers worldwide. MERF was formed to link together the gifts of the national believers with the vision and support of Bible-believing Reformed communities worldwide.

Born in Beirut

In 1971 three young believers in Beirut, Lebanon, from various nationalities met together for fellowship and mutual encouragement. The three were united in a desire to "proclaim the whole counsel of God" and to serve and guard "the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." They were driven by love for Christ and admiration for those pioneer missionaries who faithfully labored and established believing churches in different countries of the region. Their vision centered on presenting the whole Gospel to the whole man in the spirit of the pioneers.

Meeting regularly for prayer, Bible study, and the discussion of Reformed literature, they established a growing fellowship. They began to sponsor lectures, seminars, and other Christian activities in Beirut. The membership steadily grew, and the Middle East Reformed Fellowship (MERF) was fully organized in 1974. Its vision began to receive much attention in Reformed circles worldwide. In 1975, however, as MERF began to develop, war broke out in Lebanon, scattering its members around the world. The organization's official activities ceased, but the dispersed members kept working toward the goal of strengthening the Reformed witness in the Middle East. Projects of translating and publishing Reformed literature, preaching, and teaching were carried out in Egypt. The Lebanon Reformed Fellowship (LRF) was organized by Lebanese believers to continue the original work of MERF in Lebanon.

Reorganized as an Indigenous Service Organization

The events of the 1970s and '80s forced the reexamination of MERF's strategy. On the one hand, doors became clearly closed for traditional missionary endeavors in the region. On the other hand, the effectiveness of nationals and their churches in outreach became more obvious. National Christians began to make an impact in their societies by means of radio, literature, and other mass media.

In 1983 the remaining active founder organized MERF with clear statements of nature, faith, and purpose, with the wholistic fourfold ministry consisting of Evangelism, Church Extension, Biblical Training, and Diaconal Aid. In November 1984 MERF was registered in the Republic of Cyprus as an indigenous ministry. In October 1985 a regional board of Directors gathered in Cyprus. The growing ministries of the organization required a more representative structure to involve support as well as field committees. This took place in January 2000 with a seven-member international Board of Directors and a much larger body, the International Council, which now represent all field and support committees.

MERF Today

Pastors, churches, and Christian individuals all over the world have caught sight of this vision. MERF has the great opportunity to promote an active Reformed witness in the Middle East out of its headquarters in Cyprus, with local MERF administrative committees in Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, and Lebanon. MERF is committed to the service of the church of Christ according to God's Word. This is a truly ecumenical effort since it unites the gifts and resources of God's people from different ethnic backgrounds for the service of Christ in the Arab world, with a view of expanding outreach to other Muslim lands. By God's grace, much prayerful, hard work over the years has resulted in an effective and expanding ministry in the region. As the work has expanded, its needs have also grown, so MERF support bodies have been organized in Australia, New Zealand, England/Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, the USA and Canada.