|
Iraq may seem an unlikely country for conducting a mega city campaign. Baghdad and southern Iraq are out of the question. Yet it is possible in northern Iraq.
GCM Ministries has been contacted by local churches in northern Iraq to conduct an evangelistic campaign in the near future. The last US troops are out of Iraq and it is expected that the situation will change. The relative peace in the north at present may deteriorate making it impossible to hold any evangelistic campaign one year from now.
GCM Ministries is targeting a city with a population of 1.5 million. The city is located in the dry desert area, surrounded by mountains. There are three predominant languages spoken locally: Arabic, Kurdish and Chaldean or Aramaic, which is the language that Jesus spoke in the days of his flesh.
50 Miles From Ancient Nineveh
The Tigris and the Euphrates are two rivers mentioned in the Bible. They flow through ancient Mesopotamia, the Iraq of today. Our target city is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of the ancient ruins of Nineveh. In place of ancient Nineveh stands the city of Mosul, a city that is controlled by Al-Qaeda.
“I suggested to my Iraqi pastor friends that I would take a quick trip to ancient Nineveh for a short photo shoot. I was told that it would be the last thing I did in my life on earth. Hani, my traveling companion, originally from Egypt, could possibly to and come back alive. I would not be as fortunate. "We decided not to go to Nineveh," Hannu Haukka, founder and president of GCM Ministries recalls.
Assistance From Baghdad
There are very few Christians in northern Iraq. Many of them have fled persecution in the south. Iraqi Christian leaders already have a plan to manage a mega city campaign with limited human resources.
Leaders in Baghdad and Basra have offered to send reinforcements at campaign launch. "This is a wonderful spirit of unity and cowork. I feel confident that they will be able to handle the campaign, despite their trying circumstances.” Hannu Haukka reports.
Mesopotamia Now or Never
Circumstances in northern Iraq may change abruptly so there this is no time to lose. At this point in time it looks like a campaign could be held in May 2012. The land of old Testament Mesopotamia needs to hear the Gospel message.
“There is an atmosphere of uneasiness and apprehension even amongst Christians. For Christians in the west peace tomorrow is practically a given. There are no wars raging in North America. Peace is indeed a luxury. Iraqis don’t enjoy the same sense of security regarding their future.
Iraq is ravaged by sectarian violence and hostilities between fundamentalist Islamic groups. The Gospel is the only power in the world that is able to break down these divisive walls between people,” says Hannu Haukka.
|
News 
