By Aaron Sseruyigo
KAMPALA – Global Kingdom Partnerships Network, a fellowship of Pastors from over 100 countries involved in missionary activities most especially on muslim dominated countries, has revealed that 30% of Iraq’s population has converted from Islam to Christianity.
This was revealed by the organisation’s International Facilitator, Rev. Dr. Elias Dantas during his appearance at Watoto Church in Kampala, Uganda.
At one of their annual meeting held in Miami, FL ,Pr. Elias Dantas told Watoto Church the Holy Spirit led them to join hands to work towards providing help for the suffering and persecuted Church and for the refugees in general.
Because of the visibility in the media and the horrible atrocities they are facing, Dantas explained that the network chose to work with the refugees in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.
“In Iraq alone, 30% of the population gave up Islam. How can I love the religion that killed my parents, some of the converts say. One of the pastors in our network, had the privilege of baptising one of the former vice president’s of Iraq. The Holy spirit is not a spirit of cowardice, He is a spirit of courage. We don’t have to be afraid. Let us win others to christ, let’s begin here in our city,” Pr. Elias Dantas, whose remarks frequently sparked applause, said.
Elias revealed that the ongoing wars in many of the Muslim-dominated nations are providing an opportunity for extremists to target Christians.
“Churches have been destroyed, Christians have been forced to flee their homes and cities. They that choose to remain, there is a painful tangible cost,” he said. “We need to do something to help them, many of them are converting to Christ.”
“The suffering of micro groups, should impact the macro, otherwise we don’t have a church. We are not only interested in seeing people get better in health, we want them so go to heaven that means we plant churches and make disciples,” he added.
The country once held over 1.5 million Christians, but since 2003, the numbers have dwindled. The population had shrunk to under half a million in 2013 and after the rise of Daesh, it is estimated there are just 250,000 left.
In 2016, the US admitted at least 37,000 Christians, most of them from Syria, but only 7,800 were from Iraq.
In May 2017, Middle East Monitor recorded an incidence of hate speech by one of Iraq’s most senior Shiite clerics, who publicly stated that Iraqi Christians, Jews, and other religious minorities must “convert to Islam, pay the religious tax (jizya) or be killed.”
In response to this report, Pr Gary Skinner, the founding Pastor of Watoto Church said the church is doing more around the world than anybody else in caring for hurting people, starting schools, hospitals and caring for the poor.
“I have come to realise that one of the most underrated institutions on the planet, unquestionably, is the church,” he said. “No one does the work better than the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
‘Jesus will preach Himself to them’
Pr. Elias Dantas told Watoto Church not even the growing wave of persecution in the Muslim majority countries can halt the spread of the gospel.
“When you prohibit the Church to preach – Jesus is the world of God. He will preach Himself to them. He is evangelising there,” Elias said.
“We miss the signs and wonders of God when we do not expose Him in faith. I would like us as the Church to demonstrate the heart of christ but digging deep and giving out of our love for the parts of the world that need Jesus and needs our love,” he added.
Global Kingdom Partnerships started about ten years ago with Dr. Elias Dantas. Presently, Dr. Sameh Maurice, Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Dantas, Brasil-USA, Dr. Graham Power, South Africa, Rev. Kevin Grove, USA, Dr. Lord Bob Edmiston, UK, Dr. Edward Ong, Singapore, Mr. Dan Daniels, Australia, Mr. Ednilton Soares, Brazil, Mrs. LoryAnn Biggers, USA are apart of it.
Others are Dr. Daniel Ho, Malaysia, Rev. Dr. Peter Tanchi, Philippines, Rev. Edmund Chan, Singapore, Rev. Carlito Paes, Brazil, Pastor Troy Gramling, USA, Rev. Peter Weinz, Germany, Geoff Tuncliffe, Canada, Dirke van der Spuy, South Africa, Dr. Jorge Lopez, Guatemala, Mr Ernesto Walde, Paraguay, Mr Mike Jeffs, Australia, Mr. Don Simmonds, Canada, Rev. Mark Conner, Australia, Rev. Gary Skinner, Uganda, Mark Foreman, USA, Dr. Robert Morris, USA, and a few others provide the necessary leadership for its various areas of activities.
