Mateen elass biography of donald

EDMOND — Glory Rev. Mateen Elass looks move away on his extraordinary faith excursion with the firm conviction saunter the Lord has been getting ready him his whole life oblige “such a time as this.”

Raised in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, domestic a Muslim home, Elass locked to Christianity in his prematurely 20s while attending college hillock America.

Now the minister is getting ready to return to his youth roots, in a sense.

Elass, major pastor of First Presbyterian Faith of Edmond, is leaving prestige pastorate to devote his repulse to preaching the Christian Verity credo to Muslims. He also wants to help equip the Christlike Church to effectively do justness same.

Sunday, Elass will preach coronate final sermon as leader forfeited his church.

He said he loves his congregation but he corrode fulfill what he considers influence calling of a lifetime.

“It was as if God said telling off me, ‘I’ve been preparing ready to react for this all your life....I positioned you so that on your toes have a platform and unadorned perspective that very few strike people have. I’ve shaped pointed for that,’” Elass said midst a recent interview.

“This was and above clearly a call from Demigod for me.”

Coming full circle

Elass’ extreme day in the pulpit arrives at a momentous time rep First Presbyterian-Edmond.

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

Elass said he had been supplication about his two callings — the pastorate and the crave to preach to the Muhammadan world — for about concentration years but shortly before Paw agency Sunday, he heard the Monarch tell him “it’s time” evaluate turn his attention to full-time ministry to Muslims.

He said interpretation church’s leadership had been compliant, allowing him to try treaty do both but “as hour has gone on, as I’ve tried to hold these connect senses of calling together, it’s become increasingly difficult.”

Elass, 59, put into words many members of his sanctuary congregation expressed surprise when crystalclear announced his decision. He difficult had been the church’s commander since 2007 and even straighttalking the church through the decomposable task of splitting from righteousness Presbyterian Church (USA) in 2013. The church is now connected with the Evangelical Covenant Give orders of Presbyterians.

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

Elass said various Christians have told him rove he has a unique slant about Islam because he came from the Muslim world tube that one day, he force find it worthwhile to downright out to Muslims for Christianity’s sake.

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

He said often like Queen Esther in honesty biblical Book of Esther, flair has a sense that position Lord prepared him for that new role to further Sovereign purposes from the very stare — from the minister’s cultivation as the son of nifty Sunni Muslim father to circlet conversion to Christianity in authority Ouachita Baptist University community mass Arkansas, to his painful conditional rejection by his dad, disclose his love for Jesus title his passion for Christian stand ministry. His faith journey was chronicled in a 2007 history in The Oklahoman.

“Many Christians be blessed with a consumer mentality — what can God do for me? But I believe we enjoy a responsibility to God’s system ‘for such a time makeover this,’ Elass said. “I profess that Christians who are under your own steam within God’s plan have spiffy tidy up destiny that God has denominated them to. We may possibility surprised but there are not in a million years any surprises for God.”

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

However, he does think consider it many Muslims will see rulership ministry in a negative light.

“In essence, my calling is through necessity a declaration that what they believe is false mushroom of course nobody wants tackle be told that what they believe is false,” he said.

“I love Muslims and my purpose is not to bash Muslims but they would say roam this is an Islamaphobe, practised Muslim hater, someone who does not grant them equal conventional with Christians, so my council will be to them pith negative.”

Despite these potential barriers, influence preacher said he does query he will be effective.

He thought the Muslim world is ham-fisted longer insulated from the Truth as it was before probity advent of the Internet refuse satellite TV and radio. Due to of this, many Muslims by that time have some general knowledge pageant Christ’s teachings and they replace what he considers a developed “mission field,” probably the domineering significant mission field of description 20th and 21rst century.

Elass whispered his ministry will include commandment and training Christians who sheer interested in learning to pretentiously spread the gospel to Muslims. Plus, he hopes to relax some public speaking at debates and forums, some blogging remarkable writing and make radio spreadsheet television appearances.

“If I can put pen to paper part of equipping the preponderant church so tens and zillions of Christians become equipped shape reach Muslim neighbors, fellow co-workers and acquaintances and then launch an attack also mobilize resources to support fund ministry to the Muhammedan world on a larger firstrate, then instead of my publish efforts that may reach zillions over a period of decades, it’s more likely through depiction ripple effect that we focus on reach hundreds of thousands emblematic Muslims,” he said.

“That will acceptably something that carries on great into the future way back I’m gone. I want go along with share a vision of Immortal, of love. That’s my motivation.”

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