The general assembly of the Jordan Evangelical Council chose reverend Habes Nimat as their new president for the coming three years. He replaces retired general Imad Mayyah who presided over the council during the past seven years.

Whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted - The story of Suheil Madanat, the new leader of Jordanian Baptists

Suheil Madanat speaks about his father during his funeral December 21, 2014. His father Rev Odeh Madanat is one of the last in the generation of leaders who established the Evangelical Church in Jordan

The victim, a language teacher, had been residing in Jordan for the past 20 years and had lived in the cities of Amman, Ajloun and Irbid.

The hills of Ajloun came alive this summer with the sound of the internationally renown Christian singer Lydia Shadid.

Instead of their regular conference program, music was the main focus of the annual Amman Baptist Church’s summer conference this year. Shadid a Syrian-Lebanese singer who now lives in the American state of Texas, mesmerized the 100 strong congregants with a mix of old and new gospel songs. Accompanied by Jordan’s leading pianist, Salam Omeish, Shadid’s strong voice featured popular songs (most written by Egyptian writers) as well as songs written and composed by local Jordanian and other Middle Eastern hymn writers.

Daoud Kuttab, Special for Come and See

Pope Benedict XVI has sought better ties between Christians and Muslims. But in Fuhays, Jordan, devotion to the land comes first.

"In 1950, Christians made up about 30% of the Jordanian population. That's dropped to less than 4% in this overwhelmingly Islamic nation where Jesus was baptized and Moses was buried."

By Jeffrey Fleishman, LA Times, May 10, 2009

In a strategic gathering of Middle Eastern, European and American Christian leaders, westerners were given an inside view of the Middle Eastern Church’s struggle in a war-torn land.

Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding’s (EMEU) Sounds of Hope II conference was held in Amman, Jordan on Oct. 15-18. It was a time for over 70 select individuals from various ministries to hear from 11 speakers with experience in the Middle East Church.

According to Dr. Ray Bakke, EMEU chair, the conference was held out of a concern that ignorance in the West was negatively influencing the worldwide Church. “We had people who are evangelical who thought that every Arab was a terrorist or a fat oil sheik,” he said.

Press Release by Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding, October 23, 2008

The government of Jordan has designated a plot of land for the Baptist World Alliance (BWA).


The offer was first made during a visit by BWA president David Coffey with Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein last September. The land is closely approximate to the region known as Bethany beyond Jordan, where it is believed that John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ.

Baptist World Alleience Web site, June 4, 2008

Archaeologists in Jordan have unearthed what they claim is the world's first church, dating back almost 2,000 years, The Jordan Times reported on Tuesday.

"We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33 AD to 70 AD," the head of Jordan's Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, Abdul Qader al-Husan, said.

Jordan has continued deporting foreign evangelical pastors, as the government last week admitted to expelling foreigners for “illegal” missionary activities.


Acting Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh told the Jordanian parliament on Wednesday (February 20) that authorities had expelled missionaries operating “under the cover of doing charitable work,” suggesting that evangelistic activity is illegal in Jordan.

A Church Council member said that an official from Jordan’s Foreign Ministry had approached the council, Jordan’s highest Christian body, requesting that it respond to accusations of increased pressure on foreign Christians printed in the January 29 Compass article.

Compass Direct News, Feb 26, 2008