One of the more common questions that we get from people in America is, "What's it like going to church over there?" I think our response usually surprises them. We say that it's a lot like going to church in America - we have contemporary worship, solid preaching, children's and youth programs, and weekly small group meetings. There are about 500 people that attend our worship service each week. If you'd like to look at our church website, it's the Redeemer Church of Dubai. We're a protestant, non-denominational, evangelical congregation. There are numerous churches in town - including Baptist, Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches.
What's different or unexpected, you ask? Well, first of all, we meet on Fridays, not Sundays. Friday is the Muslim day of worship, so most businesses and offices close on Fridays, so Friday is the most convenient option for us. Friday is the day that most churches in Muslim countries meet.
Second, some are surprised to hear that we don't have to hide the fact that we're Christians. Nobody has to meet in secret - it's all perfectly legal. Our pastor's visa even lists his occupation as "PASTOR".
Thrid, and related to my comment immediately above, another thing that's different or unexpected is that it is common for the Sheikhs, the (Muslim) rulers of each of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE, to provide land for churches. The original English-speaking evangelical church in the city meets on land donated by Sheikh Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai (the website is here). Sheikh Saud, the ruler of Ras al Khaimah, recently donated land for an evangelical church there. The Quran teaches tolerance for "people of the book" (that is, Jews and Christians), and so there is no real religious tension in the Emirates - certainly less than in the US or in Western Europe.
Foruth, our church is different from what we experienced in the US because it's so international. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., once said "it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." And it's true. In America, whites worship with whites, Hispanics with Hispanics, African-Americans with African-Americans, and Asians with Asians. In Dubai, we have Westerners (Americans, Brits, Aussies, Kiwis, South Africans, Dutch, Germans), as well as Africans (lots of Kenyans, as well as a few Ethiopians and Tanzanians), south Asians (primarily Indians), as well as the east Asians and southeast Asians (primarily Chinese and Filipinos). There are more Asians at our church than any other group. We've got elders from each of these groups as well.
So being in church whenever we spend time in America is always good, but a little different - different day, different people, different world outside.
What's different or unexpected, you ask? Well, first of all, we meet on Fridays, not Sundays. Friday is the Muslim day of worship, so most businesses and offices close on Fridays, so Friday is the most convenient option for us. Friday is the day that most churches in Muslim countries meet.
Second, some are surprised to hear that we don't have to hide the fact that we're Christians. Nobody has to meet in secret - it's all perfectly legal. Our pastor's visa even lists his occupation as "PASTOR".
Thrid, and related to my comment immediately above, another thing that's different or unexpected is that it is common for the Sheikhs, the (Muslim) rulers of each of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE, to provide land for churches. The original English-speaking evangelical church in the city meets on land donated by Sheikh Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai (the website is here). Sheikh Saud, the ruler of Ras al Khaimah, recently donated land for an evangelical church there. The Quran teaches tolerance for "people of the book" (that is, Jews and Christians), and so there is no real religious tension in the Emirates - certainly less than in the US or in Western Europe.
Foruth, our church is different from what we experienced in the US because it's so international. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., once said "it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning." And it's true. In America, whites worship with whites, Hispanics with Hispanics, African-Americans with African-Americans, and Asians with Asians. In Dubai, we have Westerners (Americans, Brits, Aussies, Kiwis, South Africans, Dutch, Germans), as well as Africans (lots of Kenyans, as well as a few Ethiopians and Tanzanians), south Asians (primarily Indians), as well as the east Asians and southeast Asians (primarily Chinese and Filipinos). There are more Asians at our church than any other group. We've got elders from each of these groups as well.
So being in church whenever we spend time in America is always good, but a little different - different day, different people, different world outside.
I've always found it a little sad that we (as a population) do tend to segregate on Sundays. I've never really thought about how your church services are over there, but find it very interesting.
ReplyDelete