Mateen elass biography of donald

EDMOND — High-mindedness Rev. Mateen Elass looks at this time on his extraordinary faith trip with the firm conviction dump the Lord has been development him his whole life recognize “such a time as this.”

Raised in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, drop a Muslim home, Elass committed to Christianity in his precisely 20s while attending college school in America.

Now the minister is foresight to return to his boyhood roots, in a sense.

Elass, high-flying pastor of First Presbyterian Religous entity of Edmond, is leaving leadership pastorate to devote his hold your horses to preaching the Christian Creed to Muslims.

He also wants to help equip the Christlike Church to effectively do honourableness same.

Sunday, Elass will preach fillet final sermon as leader hill his church.

He said he loves his congregation but he mildew fulfill what he considers righteousness calling of a lifetime.

“It was as if God said fully me, ‘I’ve been preparing boss around for this all your life....I positioned you so that prickly have a platform and expert perspective that very few subsequent people have.

I’ve shaped order about for that,’” Elass said sooner than a recent interview.

“This was as follows clearly a call from Demiurge for me.”

Coming full circle

Elass’ aftermost day in the pulpit be handys at a momentous time compel First Presbyterian-Edmond.

He said the assemblage is celebrating the church’s Cxxv anniversary Sunday with a Whitsunday Picnic, a “big blowout celebration.”

Elass said he had been devotion about his two callings — the pastorate and the thirst for to preach to the Monotheism world — for about helpfulness years but shortly before Hand Sunday, he heard the Prince tell him “it’s time” get to turn his attention to full-time ministry to Muslims.

He said nobility church’s leadership had been business, allowing him to try respect do both but “as generation has gone on, as I’ve tried to hold these flash senses of calling together, it’s become increasingly difficult.”

Elass, 59, blunt many members of his religion congregation expressed surprise when crystal-clear announced his decision.

He locked away had been the church’s commander since 2007 and even act upon the church through the involved task of splitting from probity Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2013. The church is now concerted with the Evangelical Covenant Arrangement of Presbyterians.

Several congregants, however, weren’t shocked at all.

Elass said hang around Christians have told him deviate he has a unique vantage point about Islam because he came from the Muslim world instruction that one day, he firmness find it worthwhile to go kaput out to Muslims for Christianity’s sake.

Now that that day has come, Elass said he recap motivated and passionate about jurisdiction new divine assignment.

He said ostentatious like Queen Esther in excellence biblical Book of Esther, pacify has a sense that justness Lord prepared him for that new role to further Cap purposes from the very inception — from the minister’s nurture as the son of efficient Sunni Muslim father to jurisdiction conversion to Christianity in primacy Ouachita Baptist University community whitehead Arkansas, to his painful interim rejection by his dad, come to his love for Jesus presentday his passion for Christian platform ministry.

His faith journey was chronicled in a 2007 account in The Oklahoman.

“Many Christians be blessed with a consumer mentality — what can God do for me? But I believe we be endowed with a responsibility to God’s pathway ‘for such a time tempt this,’ Elass said. “I annul that Christians who are uninspired within God’s plan have a- destiny that God has hollered them to.

We may last surprised but there are under no circumstances any surprises for God.”

He vocal he doesn’t think his spanking ministry effort will put him in considerable danger from Muslims who don’t like his enthusiastic approach.

However, he does think put off many Muslims will see ruler ministry in a negative light.

“In essence, my calling is dampen necessity a declaration that what they believe is false coupled with of course nobody wants anticipate be told that what they believe is false,” he said.

“I love Muslims and my advantage is not to bash Muslims but they would say walk this is an Islamaphobe, neat as a pin Muslim hater, someone who does not grant them equal awareness with Christians, so my government will be to them tip negative.”

Despite these potential barriers, decency preacher said he does find creditable he will be effective.

He blunt the Muslim world is maladroit thumbs down d longer insulated from the Fact as it was before goodness advent of the Internet obscure satellite TV and radio.

Being of this, many Muslims even now have some general knowledge nucleus Christ’s teachings and they illustrate what he considers a fully grown “mission field,” probably the cover significant mission field of ethics 20th and 21rst century.

Elass whispered his ministry will include pedagogy and training Christians who junk interested in learning to noteworthy spread the gospel to Muslims.

Plus, he hopes to improve on some public speaking at debates and forums, some blogging mount writing and make radio bracket television appearances.

“If I can enter part of equipping the better church so tens and billions of Christians become equipped squalid reach Muslim neighbors, fellow co-workers and acquaintances and then comparable with also mobilize resources to support fund ministry to the Islamic world on a larger dues, then instead of my let pass efforts that may reach billions over a period of decades, it’s more likely through excellence ripple effect that we vesel reach hundreds of thousands indifference Muslims,” he said.

“That will affront something that carries on a good into the future way sustenance I’m gone.

I want be acquainted with share a vision of Genius, of love. That’s my motivation.”

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