The International Mission Board (IMB) reports that Northern Africa and the Middle East are regions of extravagant wealth and extreme poverty — with 65% of the world’s current conflicts happening in these regions. 

The world’s major religions, which are Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, all have significant populations in Northern Africa and the Middle East. All factors combined, there is an enormous opportunity to spread the Gospel and build vibrant godly communities in these regions.

Raising Next-Generation Leaders

James Taylor is a recent college graduate and Palmetto Collective participant. Palmetto Collective (PC) is a two-year program with the South Carolina Baptist Convention that equips college students for international and domestic missions. Taylor’s father was a missions pastor, so growing up, he always had an affinity for international missions. As his relationship with the Lord grew, so did his interest in reaching Muslim populations. 

Reaching Young Adults

Palmetto Collective offers two mission opportunities to students: one international trip and one domestic trip. This year, Taylor chose to take his international trip to Northern Africa. “Intentionally, Palmetto Collective didn’t tell us much of what we’d be doing for security reasons. We didn’t know what the trip would look like, but we were able to meet some of the missionaries beforehand.”

The trip was different from what Taylor imagined. “I thought we’d be learning Arabic. Instead, we worked through an international exchange program to reach out and connect with Muslims — typically younger Muslims around our age who spoke English. They would take us out in the city to explore. We learned about their home, culture, way of life, and religion. We weren’t learning Arabic and teaching English; we were building relationships.”

Utilizing Social Media as a Tool

Roughly 8 out of 10 people in Northern Africa and the Middle East use social media. While Taylor met other Muslim students in the area, he formed a fast friendship with one in particular. “We met with a Muslim student about our age and shared the Gospel with him. He initially only saw the similarities between Islam and Christianity, but he was also curious about Christian dating and marriage. We used that curiosity but brought it back to the Gospel; about how Jesus is the groom and the Church is the bride,” shared Tayor.

“On the last night of the trip, I shared the Gospel with him again but emphasized that I believed we were going to spend eternity separately, and I didn’t want that. He thanked me and said, ‘I can tell you love me by telling me those things.’”

The student proposed a deal with Taylor and another PC student: the three of them should form a WhatsApp group chat to explore Islam and Christianity together. “We agreed and made the deal,” Taylor added. “We still text in the WhatsApp.”

For Taylor, the trip with Palmetto Collective reminded him of God’s sovereignty. “Our job is to sow seeds even though we may never see the fruit from that. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to intervene. As far as we know, no one came to salvation, but we were able to introduce the friends we made to missionaries on the ground there.”