Around 10,000 people have become members of 200 new Baptist church plants in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East since 2002.

The figures were quoted at the European Baptist Federation (EBF) Council by Daniel Trusiewicz, the co-ordinator of EBF Mission Partnerships (MP).

MP facilitates the ministries by supporting the church planters for five years, decreasing its funding by 25 per cent annually in the second half of that period.

In 2016 it has been supporting 50 indigenous planters who work in 20 different countries. Ten of these will finish the programme this year. There are a further six applicants on the list, from countries including Georgia, Hungary, Iraq, and Latvia.

Baptist Unions around the world support individual planters, with Daniel adding his gratitude for the newest partner in the group, the Baptist Insurance Company.

In his presentation he highlighted a number of plants in Egypt. The Baptist Convention in Egypt is very mission minded, he said, sending individuals or teams for a two handed mission: the message of the gospel in one hand, social work in the other.

‘Our church planters in Egypt work among the poorest people, the most needy,’ Daniel continued. ‘They are the most dedicated people. Every time I go I’m encouraged to do more for God when I see their example.’

The picture shows the visit of a mission worker to a family in Egypt.

This story first appeared on the website of the Baptist Times and is used with permission.