Egypt

Egypt: Under Pressure. 
Christians live as second class citizens and are not given the same rights of most people in the country. Islamic extremism in Egypt is on the rise with Christians targeted in violent attacks. Persecution is expected as a part of daily life. Despite this, Christianity in Egypt is strong due to its ancient roots and large church size. Egypt is home to the largest Evangelical church in the Middle East. 

Political Turmoil.
Egypt was changed by the Arab spring, beginning in 2010. At that time Christians saw the election of an Islamic fundamentalist party that was quickly removed from office. In a violent response to losing power, churches were attacked, often without any punishment to perpetrators. This was particularly harmful due to laws, only repealed in 2016, that prohibited repairs to churches or the building of new ones. Under the current government Christians are receiving some support from the president, but still experiencing incidents of violence. A church was attacked in December 2016 killing 27 people. 

Supporting The Church.
As women are particularly vulnerable, Open Doors has partners running women’s empowerment programs and other ministry specifically for women. 

Open Doors also supports education and literacy classes to battle high poverty levels and discrimination towards Christians. Churches receive assistance in advocating for Christians, and ministries to families are run to help build better communities. Each of these are one to one programs aimed at strengthening the existing church.