The collapse of Arab World Ministries (AWM)
AWM previously known in its more muscular incarnation as North Africa Mission has now merged with Pioneers,an American mission with a very touchy feely website, but a hollow confession to which non-evangelicals could easily subscribe.
AWM's older confession of faith is a much more solid example of evangelical distinctives (though it could be improved on):
- We believe that Arab world Muslims need salvation in Christ and that we are called to represent Christ to Arab world Muslims.
We believe in:
- The full inspiration of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; their authority, sufficiency, and inerrancy, not only as containing, but as being in themselves the Word of God; and the need of the teaching of the Holy Spirit for a true and spiritual understanding of the whole.
- The unity of the Godhead and the divine co-equality of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- The utter depravity of human nature in consequence of the fall, and the necessity for regeneration.
- The absolute Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His real and perfect manhood; the authority of His teaching, and the infallibility of all His utterances; His work of atonement for the sin of mankind by His vicarious suffering and death; His bodily resurrection and His ascension into Heaven; His present high-priestly intercession for His people; and His lordship over His church as its supreme Head.
- The justification of the sinner, solely by faith, on the ground of the merits and vicarious sufferings, death, and bodily resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
- The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit in conviction of sin, regeneration, and sanctification, as well as in ministry and worship.
- The resurrection of the body, the judgement of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; the eternal blessedness of the righteous, and the eternal punishment of the wicked.
- The personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory.
Again under their core values:
- We are evangelical. We hold to the historic Biblical faith. We submit and adhere to the Gospel of grace as revealed in the Scriptures.
What a sad day - though in truth the collapse has been long coming.
Recent replies to correspondence have not been encouraging, though if more robust responses come they will be posted here.