Despite the growing number of Muslims in our city, Sydney Anglican ministry to this people group is still underdeveloped according to workers in the field. Experts suggest fear in our churches is the main reason behind this unfortunate reality. While the task is considerable, these experts suggest overcoming this problem might be easier than we think.
Well-known Christian expert on Islam Colin Chapman taught a 26-lecture intensive subject on the Koran and Hadif for Moore College's new MA course in late August, and has worked among Muslims in the United Kingdom, Egypt and Lebanon for 17 years.
Mr Chapman says he was greatly encouraged by the ministry initiatives he saw in some Sydney churches during his short stay, particularly ministries such as ESL programs that seek to help immigrants.
"There's actually a lot going on and people at the grassroots level really are doing their utmost to relate to Muslims and to develop good relationships with them… I would say that you've actually got quite a lot to celebrate."
However across the board, the Rev Moussa Ghazal says only five Sydney Anglican churches have a ministry to Muslims, and only a few have Muslim-background believers in their congregations.
Mr Ghazal, Curate-in-Charge at St David's Arncliffe, has been investigating ministry opportunities to Muslims in the Sydney Diocese through Evangelism Ministries, with the hope of developing resources and strategies to help churches reach out to and engage with Muslims in the local community.
From his work so far, Mr Ghazal says there is much to do in developing a Muslim-ministry mindset in Sydney churches.
"There seems to be not a great deal happening," he says. "There are a number of people out there who are engaging with Muslims, which is great, but it varies across the board.”
"With a number of people I've spoken to, a lot are interested in learning about it (Islam), but there's not as much of a desire to engage."
Fear not?
Rector of St Paul's Carlingford, the Rev Bruce Hall says the mindset of many Sydney Christians towards Muslims is disproportionately swayed by fear.
"Many have a monolithic view of Islam that is connected with fear and terror, and see all Muslims with the same eyes when there's a whole range of people who would see themselves as Muslims," he says.
"Anger and fear don't promote prayer," he continues.
But he says prayer could be the most powerful tool in overcoming this problem.
"Getting people to pray for Muslims and Muslim ministry is a great antidote to fear and anger, apart from being the right thing to do.”.
Mr Ghazal says Christians can be put off by the slow progress of Muslim ministry and the difficulties associated with reaching a cultural group very different from their own.
"Everyone hears the horror stories, the threats against those who've converted and those who've tried to convert them: for those reasons, there's a massive reluctance to get involved."
Christians who have come from Muslim countries and experienced hardship in their homeland also have a challenge to extend a hand of friendship, says Mr Ghazal.
"From a human perspective, this fear is understandable," he says. "But from a gospel perspective, we know we will face danger" this is what Jesus wanted us to get involved in and it shouldn't stop us."
Mr Ghazal adds that an unfair "pigeon-holing' of Muslims sometimes blurs people's mindsets.
"I think we overplay the bad elements of Islam" but we don't tend to view atheists the same way " we try to look for the good things they say and engage with them that way " that is the thing I'd like to see change, so that love and understanding comes first."
While Christians need to be wary and wise on the subject of Islam, Mr Chapman says the strong desire of both Islam and Christianity to convert others can provide good opportunities.
"We musn't be naïve" Islam challenges our faith at its very heart," says. "We are dealing with two missionary religions" But there is a basis for real dialogue," he says.
"And the dialogue is not a compromise where we apologise for what we believe or try to reach the lowest common denominator " I can be totally myself and up front and have asked them all the hard questions, just like they are going to ask me all the hard questions."
The Carlingford story
Mr Hall and his wife Rosemary spent three years as missionaries in Pakistan before coming to Carlingford.
It was this experience of life and ministry in a predominantly Muslim country that led them to start a ministry to Muslims at Carlingford 20 years ago.
Today, Carlingford has one of the best established Muslim ministries in Sydney, which has led some Muslim-background people to Christ.
One of these is MTS worker Amir Mesrinejad, who currently runs "Safe Haven', a ministry focusing on the needs of Muslim-background believers.
He joins long-time workers in the field, Stewart and Helen Binns, and a team of a dozen volunteers who help out visiting Muslim contacts and also at Villawood Detention Centre, distributing "word of life' Bible studies specifically geared for Muslims, and running ESL programs, and Bible study groups.
Other parts of the ministry include prayer groups for Sydney's Muslim ministry, and seminars given by Mr Hall and Mr Binns to churches around Sydney on the subject of Islam.
Starting the ball rolling
Mr Chapman, Mr Hall and Mr Ghazal all indicate that ministry to Muslims in the Sydney Diocese starts with individual friendships and one-to-one contact.
For this reason, encouraging and equipping ordinary Sydney Anglicans to reach Muslims in their own neighbourhood is an important first step.
However, before this can happen, attitudes among the congregation will often need to be examined and changed, says Mr Hall.
"If you can change that, you've made a big step towards interacting with Muslims,” he says. "Information about what they believe is secondary."
And an effective ministry in this field this does not require an extensive or expert knowledge of Islam, according to Mr Chapman.
"The point is, they don't have to read lots of books, they don't have to do courses on it, but with a small amount of background and help they can get clues that will encourage them to relate very positively to Muslims and not be afraid of them," Mr Chapman says.
Mr Hall agrees.
"You could have almost no knowledge, but if you've got the right heart, you can interact with anybody," he says.
"All you need to do, like any relationship, is to ask questions and if you make a mistake, people are willing to forgive.”
In fact, Mr Hall says contact with Muslims in this way will provide a better understanding than reading books.
The key, says Mr Chapman, is simply to talk to Muslims as everyday people.
"Forget the fact that they are Muslims and relate to them as human beings with a name," he says.
Mr Hall adds that ministry to women can be especially important.
"We need to be on the lookout for women who are keen to meet with mums " often the mums are more tucked away," he says.
“There is a lot more one-to-one stuff that the women need to be doing."
Mr Hall says ministry to Muslims must be encouraged, especially as they are mostly outside the arm of everyday church ministry.
"There are more than 160,000 Muslims in Sydney but no regular Christian ministry will reach them so it does need special effort " they are disconnected from most Christians."
