Worthing church seeks support for Egypt mission after inducting new pastor

An induction service and celebration was held at the church, in Pendine Avenue, on Saturday.

Mr Tiab has been working with the church for 14 months and will continue to serve the Arabic Community Church in Hove, where he has been the pastor for 17 years.

Born and raised in Egypt, Mr Tiab served the Presbyterian Church there for 17 years before moving to Scotland as its official delegate for six months.

He had no plans to move to England but accepted the offer when he was asked in 2004 to help start the Arabic Community Church in Brighton as a place for Christians from Muslim backgrounds.

Mr Tiab said: “I didn’t want to leave Egypt but God invited me out. It was not in my mind to be a minister for an English church but it was God’s way for me.”

As a Baptist minister, Mr Tiab has supported The Hub, Beeding and East Worthing Baptist Church in recent years, and it was at East Worthing that he has decided to accept the pastorate.

He said: “When I came to East Worthing Baptist Church, people were very friendly, I didn’t feel like a stranger or a foreigner.”

Through a church mission which was started by the Arabic Community Church in 2012, Mr Tiab is able to help the poor in Egypt, something he feels very passionate about.

He said: “I love Egypt, it is totally my mind and heart. We now have 500 projects through the church. We started loans for people to build their lives, it is not just giving money.”

The mission was expanded in 2017, when an annual community sports tournament was launched, with the backing of the Egyptian embassy and the government.

Mr Tiab said: “It is about restoration, reconciliation and conversation, reconciliating Christians and Muslims, gathering people together to talk to each other. Egypt is difficult and we try to break the ice between them.”

The sports event takes place over several weeks, with 320 people in teams playing against each other and a celebration for the winners.

Mr Tiab will be travelling over to Egypt in March for the next sports tournament and would welcome donations of sports kit and anything else that might help the people in Egypt. Telephone the church on 01903 231388 if you are able to help.