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Maadi Community Church (MCC) is one of the larger churches to provide an oasis to expatriates who find themselves in Egypt for a week or for three years. Weekly worship services are held every Friday under a big awning that adjoins a small, long outgrown white church built in 1947. In 1993, the church overflowed the sanctuary and began meeting outside under the tented church plaza. Then in 1997, due to growth, the church began holding three services a week.
Pastor Dave Petrescue, a native Canadian, came to the Maadi Church in 1993. Since then the church has grown to over 500 people. Petrescue mentors young men who serve on staff under him, holding them accountable and giving them an “open door” policy to come in to ask questions or receive counseling whenever needed.
MCC reaches out to the 20,000-plus Americans who live and work in Egypt. The suburb of Cairo called Maadi hosts the largest segment of these expatriates. The median age for the congregation is 35. The average stint for an expatriate living in Egypt is three years or less. Realizing that there is a short window of opportunity to reach the community, the church works hard to inspire, train, and send disciples out of Egypt well equipped to minister at their next location.
Their mission, as explained at MCC, is to disciple believers, exalt the Lord, embrace the needy and proclaim the gospel. Every Sunday Petrescue asks, “If this is your first Friday here in Cairo, we welcome you. If this is your last Friday here, please come forward and let us hear from you.” Anywhere from one to 10 people in a service may come forward to tell what the church has meant to them personally while they lived in Cairo.
Of course, Egypt does not lack for vibrant Egyptian Christianity. The nation is home to a small but sturdy evangelical church, and Cairo is a base for several Christian ministries to the larger Middle East area. The ancient Coptic Orthodox Church, meanwhile, has experienced something of an evangelistic resurgence in recent years.
Many expats visiting the country only for a short while, however, find the MCC meets their heart needs for fellowship. One particular Friday, Gilda, a student from the American University in Cairo, testified, “I couldn’t have made it through this time away from my family without the help of this church. I have experienced tremendous spiritual growth since I came to Egypt. The truth was that I was not even sure I was a Christian, then I met with others who were searching, just like me, and as we studied the Bible I began to see the Scriptures in a new way. I discovered that salvation was mine through Jesus. My life has been totally transformed. I am grateful to this church for being here and reaching out to me.”
Gilda sat down and six others gave short testimonies about how the church had helped them while they were away from home.
Petrescue states, “A cross-cultural experience can be like living life under a magnifying glass. Problems that seemed insignificant when the family lived in a familiar setting with strong support groups become larger than life in a new country. Treatment can be more difficult because there are fewer counselors, pastors, and friends with listening skills. So when a family moves to a new culture, it is vital that they plug into a caring church and cell group. We make every effort we can to care for our church families.”
Youth and children’s activities offer weekly gatherings that encourage spiritual growth. Youth are encouraged to participate in annual tours to monasteries and religious sites in Egypt, and Holy Land pilgrimages to Israel, Jordan, and Turkey.
The church engages in outreach to the large Sudanese community in Cairo. Tuesday nights the Sudanese church meets under the big tent. The church’s Embrace the Needy Committee reaches out by providing assistance to the refugees to help them adjust to their life outside of Sudan. Maadi Community Church also helps to support an elementary school, African Hope Learning Center for Displaced Children, for the children of the Sudanese refugees.
Christiana came to Cairo with her husband, who works in the U.S. Embassy. “What I found here were relationships,” she said. “I had to come to Egypt to find a relationship with Jesus. Before that I had a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude about Christianity.”
Christiana confesses that she was a nominal Christian but had never committed her life to the Lord until she came to Egypt. She discovered the friendships of a close-knit community who welcomed her with open arms. She began to attend a small Bible study group and as a result found not only friendships, but also that the Bible spoke to her personally and could help her through difficult situations. Now Christiana leads a Bible study of her own and mentors other young women who find themselves living in a different culture. She encourages others to make the best of their time in Egypt.
Women’s ministry includes the Maadi Women’s Guild, where women receive opportunities for fellowship, spiritual growth through Bible studies and prayer groups, outreaches, and social services. Each week the guild sponsors a reception for newcomers. It also raises money throughout the year to support local Egyptian charities and orphanages and social services.
February 16, 2001