Looking at the Muslim woman in the boat with them, Dimas* told his friend, “Let’s throw her out of the boat. Nobody will see us because, at the moment, it is only us and her.” It may come as a surprise to you, but Dimas is a pastor and a professor at a Bible school in Indonesia. Once you hear what he and his family endured, you may understand why he wanted to feed the Muslim woman to the sea. It is difficult for us to understand what minority Christian groups in Muslim majority nations face on a daily basis….

As our ministry staff at Global Initiative reflects back on 2016, our hearts are full of gratitude and thanks to each of you who have faithfully partnered with us this past year. Our team has the same heart toward you that Paul had toward the church in Philippi: “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:4-5, NIV). Many friends of Global Initiative: Reaching Muslim Peoples have stood with this ministry for years through prayers and giving. I would like to…

“We have lived among Muslims for all these years and never knew how to talk with them. I am at peace and not afraid now that I understand better.” Fear, indifference and anger are often the attitudes that paralyze God’s people from interacting with Muslims. However, the Holy Spirit is awakening the church globally to proclaim the truth of Christ to Muslims! More and more, the attitudes of followers of Christ toward Muslims are being transformed.  Central Africa   Our first training in a Central African country took place this year! The Holy Spirit spoke to many church leaders and ministers who came, and they…

A Global Initiative trainer recently traveled to Indonesia to participate in two Jonah Initiatives in Kupang and Timika. Four days in Kupang, Mark taught Ministry to Muslims with over 250 people in each morning session. The pastors in attendance were very receptive and he sensed a genuine desire from many pastors that want to reach Muslims in their communities. The questions during Q&A sessions centered around (1) how they (pastors) can begin a ministry in their local churches to reach Muslims and (2) when converts are made, how do they incorporate them into the church or start cell groups specifically for…

This week the Miss America pageant crowned its first winner from an Indian background, Nina Davuluri, and yesterday (18 September), Miss Nigeria Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola took home the crown in Miss World Muslimah 2013 (pictured) in Jakarta, Indonesia. The third annual pageant exclusively for Muslim women, Miss World Muslimah is a global charity event for the relief of those who are struggling in hunger, war and conflict, and natural disaster, and shows how the beauty of the Muslim sisterhood can be a driving inspiration for others. The twenty contestants were chosen for their religious abilities, including memorization of the Quran and also public…

Global Initiative’s Dr. Tommy Hodum recently traveled to Indonesia to teach as part of the Jonah Initiative. Tommy called this Jonah Initiative in Indonesia spectacular in the sense of kingdom accomplishment. He began by preaching in two locations in Surabaya. Sunday morning he ministered at Jehova Jireh Assembly of God with Pastor Windu Winarso. The church was 13 feet wide by 60 feet long and the middle aisle was only 18 inches wide, and it was packed with former Muslims, drug addicts, prostitutes, and seekers. Others stood in the street listening to the whole service. Pastor Winarso also has a…

From Reuters this week, Indonesia’s most-populous province, West Java, re-elected its conservative Muslim governor Ahmad Heryawan, but by such a narrow margin that it appears “the religious card may be losing its power to win votes in the world’s largest Islamic society.” Heryawan’s winning margin was just over 30 percent, the minimum needed to win, but that was down from the 40 percent margin of five years ago. Read the full story here. “Many parties are now trying to become a middle ground party. Indonesia is very diverse and parties who support that diversity will get votes,” said Airlangga Hartarto,…

Sharia tourism among global Muslim travelers is a growing industry, and according to The Jakarta Post, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry in Indonesia is preparing to tap into that market. The government along with travel agencies, hotels, and restaurants will begin to create and promote tours for Muslim travelers. The news outlet describes sharia tourism as “leisure and travel that complies with Islamic law, such as the provision of cuisine and beverages that contain no pork or alcohol, and the separation of men and women at tourist events and sites.” Read the full story here. The ministry’s director for meetings,…