It is a moment of celebration in the newly-built cathedral. The massive structure, which holds eight thousand, is packed with worshippers and dignitaries all gathered together to commemorate this historic opening. Even the president of the nation has come to celebrate this event, as only makes sense, considering the government donated nearly $12 million (USD) to this site of Christian worship.[1] Pictures of the president standing with the Pope were splashed across the front pages of newspapers in the days preceding—not just in the nation itself but around the world. Why would the opening of a church be such a big deal? Because this took place in Egypt. The president is Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The pope is Coptic Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria. I was there to witness this grand opening, and it was very difficult not to get emotional at this momentous nature of this event.

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of the Egyptian government’s cooperation in the opening of the Nativity of the Christ Cathedral just outside of Cairo. Even President Donald Trump gave a shout-out, tweeting, “Excited to see our friends in Egypt opening the biggest Cathedral in the Middle East. President El-Sisi is moving his country to a more inclusive future!”[2] This is just another important step taken by President al-Sisi as he seeks to bring his nation out of the internal strife and external Muslim isolationism that had been the result of the policies of President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood administration.

Internally, al-Sisi is seeking to unite Egypt’s people against ISIS and its violence. In his speech at the cathedral’s inauguration, he said, “We have built . . . the biggest church in the Middle East in response to terrorists’ foul schemes.”[3] This is welcome news to the Coptic Church, which has been the victim of many years of violence. When our evangelical delegation visited Egypt for the cathedral’s opening, Pope Tawadros II and thirty other Egyptian pastors and ministry leaders told us they felt much safer with these changes. They also let us know that more than five hundred permits have been granted for additional churches.

Externally, al-Sisi is building stronger Egyptian alliances with the wider community of nations—even with former enemy Israel. Sharing a common adversary in the Sinai peninsula, the two militaries who had once warred against each other are now cooperating to eradicate terrorism’s militant menace that regularly crosses from one side of the border to the other. In a January 2019 60 Minutes interview, President al-Sisi stated, “The Air Force sometimes needs to cross to the Israeli side. And that’s why we have a wide range of coordination with the Israelis.”[4] This cooperation has also included a sharing of intelligence and possibly even special forces troops, although the latter is beyond what any government official on either side is willing to confirm.[5]

The United States has also become a beneficiary of this change in Egypt. On January 2, 2019, President al-Sisi and President Trump held a phone call to discuss the Middle East. The conversation focused on the continuing fight against terrorism, and the two leaders affirmed the need for international cooperation.[6]

Problems still continue in Egypt. The day before the inauguration of the Nativity of the Christ Cathedral, a police officer was killed in Nasr City on the outskirts of Cairo as he tried to dismantle a bomb outside a Coptic church.[7] However, despite occasional violence, there is no doubt that the winds are blowing in the right direction in Egypt. The Church would be right to pray for President al-Sisi, as these reforms will certainly make him a target among the militant factions. Egypt may also begin to feel backlash from some of the more hardline anti-Israel Muslim nations in the days ahead. Also, we must continue to pray for our Coptic brothers and sisters to use their newfound freedoms to serve the Lord faithfully and share the truth of Jesus Christ.

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[1] Wirtschafter, Jacob. “Egypt’s Copts Prepare for Opening of Cathedral in New Administrative Capital.” The National, 4 Jan. 2018, www.thenational.ae/world/mena/egypt-s-copts-prepare-for-opening-of-cathedral-in-new-administrative-capital-1.692886.

[2] Trump, Donald J. Twitter, 6 Jan. 2019, twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1081928260093652999?s=21.

[3] “Cathedral of the Nativity Is a Symbolic Response to Terrorists Targeting Copts: Sisi.” EgyptToday, 6 Jan. 2019, www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/63123/Cathedral-of-the-Nativity-is-a-symbolic-response-to-terrorists.

[4] “Egypt’s Sisi Acknowledges Close Coordination with Israel in Sinai.” Reuters, 7 Jan. 2019, www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-sisi-usa-idUSKCN1P101X.

[5] Ahronheim, Anna. “Egypt’s Sisi: Military Cooperation with Israel at Unprecedented Levels.” The Jerusalem Post, 7 Jan. 2019, m.jpost.com/Middle-East/Egypts-Sisi-Military-cooperation-with-Israel-at-unprecedented-levels-576339.

[6] “Trump and Egypt’s Sisi Discuss Middle East in Phone Call.” Al Arabiya English, 2 Jan. 2019, english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/01/02/Trump-and-Egypt-s-Sisi-discuss-Middle-East-in-phone-call.html.

[7] “Egyptian Explosives Expert Killed Defusing Bomb in Cairo.” Arab News, 6 Jan. 2019, www.arabnews.com/node/1431036/middle-east.