The Arab Spring has opened doors that were hitherto shut and has revealed the dire need to equip the church to fulfill its role in discipleship and in answering difficult questions. Empowering the emerging local church leaders and inspiring a new generation of laypeople has become a necessity. The challenge is that several churches and religious institutions have been abandoned by their emerging generation who felt disappointment with the inward retreat of Christian communities during a time of distress. Youth are looking for voices that seek to bridge the impasse between the church and society and have the courage to tackle the issues of science, philosophy, and art. Moreover, groups of Christian businesspeople are now eager to learn the Christian theology of work and to embrace God’s call to take the light of the Gospel to the marketplace. There is a sense of need to work on reforming the values and ethics of the corporate world in the Middle East. The necessity for teaching, equipping and mobilization for mission and multiplication through the founding of an intellectual stronghold to lead the Christian community today to fulfill its calling has, therefore, become imperative.
Through the project of AECC, Dr. Maher Samuel, a psychiatrist and a Christian speaker, and the founder of Credologos, has a two-fold vision. First, to create a generation of Christian communicators who have a deep sense of calling and have achieved unique academic excellence so they may serve the younger generation with all its struggles and complexities. Second, to create a platform from which a gospel-centered Christian community could engage with the wider society in the secular marketplace of ideas. This would support the local church in both its disciple-making and missional efforts, and in narrowing the growing cultural gap between the church and the budding generation. Credologos ministry was the first fruits of this vision, now we look forward to the future expansion of this ministry through the Arab Evangelical Cultural Center.
The objective for AECC is to host the Credologos academic institute and training center, for long-term training of communicators and short-term training and education for lay leaders and church members respectively. It will also include the Agora Cultural Center to engage the wider secular non-Christian society through cultural activities. We hope to engage with culture shapers in the fields of academia, business, arts, and media with a high level of intellectual rigor and existential relevance to the most pressing questions of the region. The academically qualified Credologos team of speakers, who have been trained in renowned universities will serve as the faculty. AECC would also aid Christian Arab thinkers to conduct research and produce material that would be truly and authentically Arabic in content and style.
The purpose of AECC is to inaugurate an official cultural center and an academic institute that serves not only to train, but also to positively engage with the wider community on an intellectual level by conducting public forums, educational seminars, concerts… etc.
1) Credologos Institute:
o Develop and offer a one-year diploma/certificate in “Christian Thought in the Contemporary World”
o Develop Specialized Trainings (Christian Artists, leadership training, etc…)
o Present specialized in-depth Bible studies to assist churches
o Launch Annual / long-term campaigns aiming to reform some common theological misconceptions in the Arab world
2) Agora Cultural Center:
o Conduct Lectures, seminars, forums and cultural events to discuss philosophical, psychological, social, literary and artistic issues.
o Organize Forums and clubs to discuss books and artworks
o Organize Art exhibitions
The Arab Evangelical Cultural Center (AECC) has been progressing steadily, thanks to the grace and providence of God, your prayers and generous offerings. The land’s cost has been fully covered and we were able to purchase the building
(land + core & shell) at a cost of 30.75 M EGP/ 1.6 M USD approximately.
Finishing the building will commence once the schematic designs are finalized, which are currently in progress.
Furthermore, the center’s legal status has been secured and the notarization of legal documents is currently in progress. Meanwhile, thereis still an outstanding finishing cost, which is approximately 45 M EGP / 2.4 M USD.
