From June 7-12, national pastors and church workers from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) gathered for stewardship training conducted in Arabic–a groundbreaking gathering in MENA history.
Pastor Amir Ghali, director for National Development and Stewardship at MENAU, organized the event to meet an essential ministry imperative.
“We recognized a distinct need for training in this area because there are members, new and old, and from various religious backgrounds, who aren’t clear on how to handle money in regard to tithes, offerings, and special offerings,” he said.
The training effectively deepened church workers’ understanding of biblical stewardship and equipped them to teach members about the right use of money. General Conference Stewardship Ministries director, Pastor Marcos Faiock Bomfim, and associate director, Pastor Aniel Barbe, offered profound biblical principles and applications that linked the topic to the global church family, while local leaders delivered context-specific presentations that powerfully connected these principles to the ministry realities of our region.
One important aspect of this training was that it was conducted entirely in Arabic (with translation only for English presentations), thereby removing language barriers that often hinder engagement. National participants communicated freely and engaged deeply in discussions, connecting biblical stewardship principles directly to their context in ways that strengthened their understanding, ability to lead, and fostered unity in their shared work.
Let us pray: God of the harvest, please bless the national pastors and leaders of MENA and provide more local workers. Bless these workers as they bring a more comprehensive and holistic approach to stewardship to their worship communities.