Protestants

Protestant missions in North Africa and West Asia began in the first half of the nineteenth century. American Presbyterians were particularly active in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, and German and English Lutherans focused on what today is Israel/Palestine, and Jordan. Armenian Protestant refugees fleeing genocide after WWI brought their faith tradition to the region, and there are many smaller denominations as well. Today, the region has around one million Protestants who constitute only 0.2% of the total population (2015). Protestant churches, however, are active in running educational institutions, promoting ecumenical dialogue, and providing humanitarian relief for refugees and victims of violent conflicts. Key issues facing Protestants today include the debate over women’s ordination, as well as their response to political developments like the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the politicization of Islam, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.