Middle East Media U.S.A

Summary

MEM is an international, interdenominational fellowship of mostly Arab Christians, working with the assistance of a global network of partnering churches, individuals and foundations, who are committed to communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to unreached Muslims. Since 1976, MEM has employed numerous media forms including magazines and booklets, audio and video tapes, original 3D animation, TV programs for local and satellite channel broadcast, Internet sites, campus exhibitions, and a series of media ministry training events designed to proliferate the MEM vision and skills amongst other members of the region’s Christian community.

Their primary focus is on the Middle East, North Africa, the Gulf States, Turkey and Iran. MEM International reaches all 22 countries of the Arab league with its printed products and television programs. Their websites in Middle Eastern languages are not limited by national boundaries, and are capable of reaching Arabs worldwide. Their resources are used amongst Arabs in the west as well as in the Middle East.

Contact Information: [ Back to top ]

Organization Details [ Back to top ]

Purpose [ Back to top ]

MEM is an international, interdenominational fellowship of mostly Arab Christians, working with the assistance of a global network of partnering churches, individuals and foundations, who are committed to communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to unreached Muslims. Since 1976, MEM has employed numerous media forms including magazines and booklets, audio and video tapes, original 3D animation, TV programs for local and satellite channel broadcast, Internet sites, campus exhibitions, and a series of media ministry training events designed to proliferate the MEM vision and skills amongst other members of the region’s Christian community.

Their primary focus is on the Middle East, North Africa, the Gulf States, Turkey and Iran. MEM International reaches all 22 countries of the Arab league with its printed products and television programs. Their websites in Middle Eastern languages are not limited by national boundaries, and are capable of reaching Arabs worldwide. Their resources are used amongst Arabs in the west as well as in the Middle East.

Mission Statement [ Back to top ]

Middle East Media uses the following to communicate its objective:

MEM’s distinctive mission is to reach non-Christians beyond the reach of local churches and other traditional mission activities, with culturally sensitive, yet compelling presentations of the Gospel through “Market Place” media. We also train others to do the same.

MEM’s Vision is to make the Gospel accessible to all families of the Middle East (including North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula) by the year 2020.

MEM’s Purpose is to make a strategic contribution to Christian life and witness in the Middle East through the creative use of media

Program Accomplishments [ Back to top ]

Project Orphan is a new initiative from Middle East Media (MEM) that seeks to reach out to the tens of thousands of children who live in government-sponsored or other (church, mosque, private) orphanages or homes. Two unique, biblically-based resources are sent to these forgotten children and youth: His Kids, an award-winning, children’s series on videocassette and Magalla magazine, a colorful, monthly youth magazine for 15-21 year olds.

Project Iraqi Hope reaches Middle Eastern believers through Magalla magazine and through children’s television programs. Magalla offers practical tips on everything from health and nutrition to sports and small business ideas, all written from a biblical point of view. Through the pages of Magalla, youth begin to believe in a holy, loving, empowering, personal God who loves men and women equally. As an absolutely unique publication in the whole region, Magalla also includes prayers, and special articles about God.
MEM’s video team has produced a number of original children’s TV programs - all in Arabic. These fun, biblically-based episodes are incredibly powerful in conveying truth to young hearts. Children learn quickly as they identify with memorable characters, who teach them about love and forgiveness through drama and music.

Project Transformation is committed to seeking out Christians from a Muslim background who have writing and other creative gifts. Because they have converted from Islam these new believers are often marginalized, persecuted and excommunicated from their families. With their understanding of the Islamic mind they are ideally placed to reach their communities when it is difficult or nearly impossible for those from the outside. The aims of Project Transformation are to identify Christian believers with appropriate gifting who are from a Muslim background, provide appropriate high quality media training in a work environment and develop a team of creatively gifted people who will be able to present the Gospel in compelling ways to a majority community gripped by Islam.

Statement of Faith [ Back to top ]

Middle East Media uses the following to express its faith:

The work of MEM and the basis of faith of its members accords with the terms of the Lausanne Covenant, July 1974.

We accept the revelation of the triune God given in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and confess the historic faith of the Gospel therein set forth. We here assert doctrines which we regard as crucial to the understanding of the faith, and which should issue in mutual love, practical Christian service, and evangelistic concern.

1. The Sovereignty and grace of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in Creation, providence, revelation, redemption, and final judgment
2. The Divine inspiration of Holy Scripture and its consequent entire trustworthiness and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
3. The universal sinfulness and guilt of fallen man, making him subject to God's wrath and condemnation.
4. The substitutionary sacrifice of the incarnate Son of God as the sole and all-sufficient ground of redemption from the guilt and power of sin and from its eternal consequences.
5. The justification of the sinner solely by the Grace of God through faith in Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
6. The illuminating, regenerating, indwelling, and sanctifying work of God the Holy Spirit.
7. The priesthood of all believers, who form the universal Church, the Body of which Christ is the Head, and which is committed by His command to the proclamation of the Gospel throughout the world.
8. The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory.

History [ Back to top ]

Middile East Media gives the following as its history:

Three decades ago in Lebanon, a group of Operation Mobilization and native Arab Believers united behind a common purpose: the production of biblical literature for distribution throughout the Arab world—this was the 1972 beginning of Middle East Media. After only four years, the realities of the Lebanese Civil War mandated the relocation of the fledgling ministry to Egypt in 1976. While in Cairo, the ministry divided into two parts: Middle East Literature and the new Magalla magazine. As a result of exhaustive research, the video production element of the ministry was born in 1986. Almost a decade passed, and in 1995, MEL became a separate entity. Meanwhile, MEM breathed life into a new satellite television project, which the world now knows as SAT 7. The project gained momentum, and, when a separate focus necessitated that it do so, separated from MEM in early 1996. The Video and Magalla elements of the Middle East Media remain today. These two core elements, it seems, have been held in the palm of God’s hand since their very conception, having creatively functioned for decades in fruitful harvest of souls without significant interference or shut-down by the Egyptian government. The video and Magalla teams have thrived in both commercial and church marketplaces, producing everything from award-winning 3-D animation, to Veggie Tales dubbed into Middle Eastern languages, to the popular Magalla youth magazine (and a soon-to be launched women’s magazine), evangelistic booklets and multi lingual websites. God –willing through these means and others, MEM will continue to creatively reveal the path to eternal salvation through the Prince of Peace to the Middle East—where passions run deep, spirituality is revered, peace is but an evasive memory, and God’s Love is all-encompassing but largely unrealized.

Ministry Needs [ Back to top ]

The organization is funded primarily through contributions and grants from approximately 600 individuals, organizations, and churches internationally. Please pray about your possible participation in funding the ministry.

Research Analysis

Transparency Grade [ Back to top ]

MinistryWatch.com 5 Star Financial Efficiency Ratings [ Back to top ]

Ranking Category	Rating	Overall Rank	Foreign Missions Sector
Overall Efficiency Rating		328 of 348	51 of 54
Fund Acquisition Decision		328 of 348	51 of 54
Resource Allocation Decision		of 348	17 of 54
Asset Utilization Decision		of 348	17 of 54