Worshiping with Muslim Background Believers

There’s a lot of discussion going around in mission circles about what is the appropriate inculturation of Muslim background believers into the Christian faith. What is called the “Insider Movement” that proposes it is OK for new Muslim Christians to remain inside their traditional Muslim culture even after professing faith in Christ is heralded by some and condemned by others. Certainly there are critical aspects of both theology and missiology that must be considered in this important dialog.

But, regardless of all that dialog, I experienced worship this Sunday morning in a way that I have never experienced it before. Being a guest at the House of Wisdom, here in Gambia, I felt privileged to participate in what appeared to me as an appropriate yet balanced expressions of worship for a small congregation comprised totally of Muslim-background believers.

The House of Wisdom is the vision of Pastor Modou Camara. Once an Islamic teacher himself, God transformed his life when he got a hold of a Christian Bible for purposes of proving it, once and for all, to be a book of lies. Instead, he gave his heart to Christ and has never turned back from his passion to show other Muslim friends the Truth he discovered.

Pastor Modou (center) in front of the House of Wisdom

Modou designed the House of Wisdom to be a place that would be comfortable to People of Muslim background without compromising anything essential about the Christian faith. The worship center itself is a small round room lined with woven mats on the floor. There were a few chairs for us visitors and some nursing mothers, but most sat cross-legged on the floor. There was no alter or pulpit or any front to the room at all. When we sang songs, they were all sung accapella in the people’s native Fulani. At least a half an hour was devoted to people sharing spontaneous testimonies. The sermon was done in a creative storytelling fashion that kept every single man, woman and child riveted to what was being said.

But what was most unusual of all, was the special prayer time at the end of the service when we all progressively knelt and bowed down in Muslim fashion. But, instead of some Islamic rote prayer, we recited the Apostles Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. Another significant difference was that the prayer time was shared equally between men and women and no one was concerned about being pointed toward Mecca.

I come away from this worship experience feeling both refreshed and inspired. I don’t know all the right answers about the “Insider Movement” but what I saw today seemed to be both spiritually appropriate and creatively contextual. I praise God for men like Pastor Modou who I believe are following the prompting of God’s Spirit to craft a means for many new Muslim background believers to learn the Truth about Christianity, accept the claim of Christ on their lives and become our brothers and sisters in the faith.