Discipleship Strategies for Believers from Muslim Backgrounds - A Conversation with Felicia Chinyere Priest

Dr. Felicia Chinyere Priest joined me from Lagos, Nigeria to talk about her new book, Rooted In Christ : Discipleship Strategies for Believers from Muslim Backgrounds. She has been teaching and thinking on these topics pertaining to effective discipleship for 20 years. Nigeria is the most hostile context in the world between Muslims and Christians, where just recently many dozens of Christians were killed in the northern region of the country by Muslims.

In the West, numbers of Muslims continue to increase. These Muslims have the same Koran and same traditions as those who are active in Nigeria. We in the West would do well to learn from those on the frontlines how to proactively and productively engage Muslims. Dr. Chinyere and I leaned into these topics, and she was quite helpful in rendering answers.

What principles are important to keep in mind when considering how to witness to Muslims? What are the primary issues and challenges involved in converting Muslims? Why do Christians sometimes choose to convert to Islam (her own tribe has experienced this in some measure). Which Christian traditions do better than others at creating discipleship pathways and maintaining a rigorous way of life? We address these and many other important considerations.

I think the biggest revelation to me in this time was that the church needs to engage, not just in the marketplace of ideas, but on the level of economics. If we are expecting for folks to leave their old way of life behind, then we need to be better able to facilitate that. Do we have places to put them? Do we have protocols for protection? Do we have networks established for support and comfort? It is actually quite reasonable for the church to anticipate these needs. Why have churches generally failed in this way?

This is unfortunately not my highest-quality recording. The internet connection wasn’t stable at all. I didn’t realize it until I started the editing process that Dr. Chinyere’s feed actually clipped out twice. Moreover, her accent is quite challenging for Americans to understand. Both of these factors will make it difficult for an American audience to appreciate. But for those of you who are interested in the subject, I know you’ll enjoy the effort.

Consider Dr. Chinyere’s book here - https://a.co/d/6mSLgZY

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