By Ken Walker
State Correspondent

Lexington—While many Americans are upset about the proposed mosque near Ground Zero, the leaders of a ministry to Muslims caution against getting swept up in the controversy.

The reason: They think this is the best time ever to reach Muslims with the gospel.

“I think it’s a God thing that Muslims are coming to the U.S.,” said Jim Hudson,* a North American Mission Board missionary working in Louisville. “We can share Christ with them and we won’t be locked up.”

“They live in a lot of fear and uncertainty,” added Annie Taylor,* a NAMB missionary who joined Hudson Aug. 21 for the “Sharing Christ With Muslims” workshop at Super Saturday in Lexington. “We can share with them that we don’t have to be afraid.”

Despite their optimism, Hudson acknowledged that the Islamic presence is expanding rapidly in Kentucky.

Over the past 15 years, the number of mosques in Louisville alone has grown from 2 to 13. There are six in Lexington and several others across Kentucky.

Establishing mosques is part of an agenda that makes a public statement, Hudson said.

“This is much more than a building,” the missionary said. “Mosques are things that say, ‘Islam is here, it’s healthy, it’s growing.’ There are 7 million Muslims (in the U.S.) and that’s a low estimate.”

However, both warned against getting caught up in media-driven hysteria that focuses on a tiny, radical element within the Muslim community.

The best way to overcome an irrational fear of Muslims is to get to know some, Hudson encouraged. “When you see that many of them are peaceful, a lot of these fears go away.”

Nor should Christians think that political solutions are the answer to turning back Muslim influence in America, he said.

Noting a push among evangelical Christians to favor political solutions, Hudson remarked, “I dare say we’re not going to see these people come to Jesus through legal and political means. A friend says the best way to reach Muslims is to love people and share Jesus.”

To witness to Muslims, one doesn’t have to come from the Middle East or speak Arabic, Hudson pointed out. A native of south Georgia, he now works in a Bosnian refugee community, the majority of which is Muslim.

The only qualifications are loving Christ, the ability to share your testimony, and relate the gospel, he said.

“There is no ‘silver bullet,’” Hudson noted. “Muslims are too diverse.”

He said it does help to understand the basic tenets of their faith. Those include worshipping Allah, praying five times a day, fasting during Ramadan, giving alms (gifts to the poor), and making a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Yet, while it is good to understand Muslims, Christians should be aware that they do not worship the same God, Hudson explained.

According to Islamic teachings, Allah is a deceiver, vengeful and unpredictable, prone to decide at any moment not to admit someone to heaven.

But the God who sent His Son to earth is holy, just, loving and bound by His character, Hudson said.

“Jesus lived among us,” he noted. “We believe God is love. There is eternal security and love. The God of Allah is not the same as the God of Christianity.”

However, Hudson said it is important that Christians not attack Allah or the Quran, which Muslims consider a sacred book. A Florida church has made headlines for its plans to burn the Muslim holy book on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Kentuckians also need to understand some cultural differences between Western and Eastern society, he said.

Among those he listed: Westerners value punctuality, change and individual rights. To Muslims, being on time is no big deal, change often is shunned, and society’s rights take precedence over a person.

“There’s a strong feeling of community,” Taylor said of the group orientation in Muslim culture. “A lot of people are drawn to that.”

In addition, she said Kentucky Baptists should be aware of gender distinctions among Muslims. Men always should witness to men and women to women because Muslims are suspicious of cross-gender relationships.

Hudson said the most important attitudes in sharing one’s faith are being loving, friendly, building bridges and maintaining a biblical outlook.

“We have to find a way to love them,” he stressed. “Don’t insult their prophet (Mohammed). Don’t insult the Quran. They have many misconceptions that can be overcome by being a friend.”

The two-hour “Sharing Christ with Muslims” workshop also will be offered at two remaining Super Saturday events, Sept. 11 in Williamsburg and Sept. 18 in Bowling Green.

*Names changed for security reasons

Western Recorder issue date: August 31, 2010.