Christianity around the world

Christianity in the Middle East

The Middle East is where Christianity was born. Jesus lived, died, and rose in the land of Israel and Palestine; the first church gathered in Jerusalem; and it was at Antioch, in what is now Turkey, that believers were first called Christians. Ancient churches have continued here without a break: Greek and Syriac Orthodox, Armenian, Assyrian, Maronite, Melkite, Coptic and more. Today Christians are a small and often pressured minority, yet they are the oldest Christians on earth.

Where the faith began

Christianity is not a Western religion that later reached the East. It began in the Middle East. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, taught in Galilee, and was crucified and raised in Jerusalem. From there the first believers carried the message outward, exactly as Jesus had told them.

Within a few centuries the region held some of the greatest centers of the faith: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Edessa. From here the Syriac-speaking Church of the East carried the gospel along the trade roads as far as India and China. The great councils that shaped Christian belief met on this soil and nearby.

The churches here today

The Middle East holds an unbroken tapestry of ancient churches: the Greek Orthodox and Melkite Catholic communities, the Syriac Orthodox and Catholic, the Maronites of Lebanon, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Coptic Orthodox of Egypt, and Latin Catholics and Protestants too. In countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and the Holy Land, Christians remain, though war, emigration, and pressure have reduced their numbers. They are among the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world.

If you are seeking here

If you are living anywhere in the Middle East and quietly wondering about Jesus, you are not alone, and you are welcome. Faith is not a nationality or a family tradition you are locked into or out of; it begins wherever one person turns to Christ and asks. You can start today by reading a Gospel, by praying honestly in your own words, and by finding a community that follows Jesus near you.

Frequently asked questions

Where was Christianity born?

In the Middle East. Jesus lived, died, and rose in the land of Israel and Palestine, the first church gathered in Jerusalem, and believers were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26).

Are there still Christians in the Middle East?

Yes. Ancient churches have continued without a break, including Greek and Syriac Orthodox, Armenian, Assyrian, Maronite, Coptic, and others, though today they are a small and often pressured minority.

Which is the oldest church in the Middle East?

The churches of Jerusalem and Antioch reach back to the first century, and communities such as the Assyrian Church of the East and the Armenian and Syriac churches are among the oldest continuous Christian bodies on earth.