THE FIERY SPIRIT - Coptic Orthodox Electronic Publishing

teaching or strange concept they introduce. Neglecting that they
extort church members and cause them to deviate from the true
faith.
Many of our brethren’s of Protestant leaders spoke of
missionary movements, asking to give them a chance to work
side by side, and through the local churches where they came to
preach. They disapprove that such missionaries are considered
“parachurch” though at the apostolic era this was not the case.
But rather any missionary who came to serve at a certain area,
was automatically allowed to join the local church and work
through it.
I commented on this before the council, that some years
ago you complained that the Orthodox churches refuse to
participate in councils with missionaries, and here you have the
same feelings as you ask them to work through the local
churches.
I am sorry to say that missionaries think that they came
to the Middle East to renew and reactivate the Church. In some
other council I presented them some questions such as:
• Why do you bother to come to the Middle East for
preaching there, while Jehovah witnesses, as I have seen, had
spread there teachings all over Canada, and you have done
nothing about it?!
• What about the numerous people who have been
converted from Christianity and followed the Indian religion
and others!
Some answered: The Holy Spirit instructed us to go to
the Middle East!!
Where Christianity collapses in the United States of
America and in Europe, we find the missionaries coming to
work in the Middle East, pretending that they are doing a good
job to renew the Church there, according to individuals.
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