The Church in the Muslim world

The best of Briefings

The church in the Muslim world cover

Here is a brief, popular introduction to the Christian movement in the different areas of the Muslim World. It’s made of updated highlights from my ‘Briefings’ series of books, of which approaching 100,000 copies have been produced — the latest in Chinese.

So The Church in the Muslim World contains a simple introduction to different Islamic cultures, to the history of the Church among them, and to the current story and needs. A tool for improved cross-cultural understanding and prayer.

This was material gathered on research trips and interview between 1995 and 2006, last updated around 2011, so getting a little old. I’m very happy to be able to distribute it for free via my distributor Smashwords, available in all the popular ebook formats.

Review comments

Here are some reviews of the original ‘Briefings’ from which these selections are taken.

Glenn uses a vivid palette of word pictures to give one of the best and most readable presentations of the spiritual need of the world I have read for a long time.
Patrick Johnstone, author.

This is just what our churches need – well-researched, well-presented and well-chosen topics that present the strategic challenges to Christian mission that we cannot ignore … Every Christian should be using this resource to inform their prayers, sharpen up their thinking, and provoke practical action.
Jonathan Lamb, Langham Partnership

A wonderfully readable and sympathetic introduction to a part of the world that is always likely to be in the news and should be of special concern to Christians.
Colin Chapman, Islam scholar and author

Understanding and coming to grips with the complicated Arab/Muslim situation may well help us to understand what is happening to OUR part of the world: economically, socially and above all spiritually … This priceless little book can help us. Read it.
Brother Andrew, Open Doors.

…lively, readable and vivid. It is an ideal first introduction to the subject for Western Christians, giving an overview of the region from the beginning of the Christian era until the present. The focus is on Islam, Christianity and the wide diversity of peoples in the region. Myers takes an upbeat line, looking at exciting contemporary development in Christian mission arising from the roots of the ancient churches of the region.
Patrick Sookhdeo, Servants Fellowship International.

An excellent introduction to the spiritual and physical needs of the peoples living in one of the most neglected areas of the world … stimulates and informs prayer for these peoples, and, I trust, action too, while there is still open access to them.
John Bendor-Samuel, Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Glenn Myers takes us to worlds most of us will never be able to visit in person and opens them up in vivid, up-to- date, easily understood snapshots. The analysis is simple but not simplistic, broad but not shallow. These highly readable briefings will help Christians not only to gain a balanced understanding and greater sensitivity of other people’s worlds, but also to shed some of their own prejudices and stereotypes in the process. Such learning is the first step in intelligent prayer and responsible mission.
Dr Chris Wright, Langham Partnership

Thoroughly researched and well written … [it] gets to the heart of the key issues facing the church in the region.
Sam Yeghnazar, Elam Ministries

…inspires hope and expectancy. After reading it I wanted to go back and work there again!’
Tim Morris, former International Director, World Horizons.

The church with its message of hope and the compassion of Jesus has much to say in this situation and Glenn Myers tells us simply, directly –-almost starkly – just what that job is like.
Ernie Addicott

How many Christians of Muslim heritage? Recent data

A global census of the Church in the Muslim world was recently published in The Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion (2015 Volume 11 Article 10). It was authored by Duane Alexander Miller and my friend Patrick Johnstone. It finds a 2010 global total (medium estimate) of 10m Christians of a Muslim heritage, roughly 6m in Asia, 2m in Africa, and half a million in each of North America and the Arab World.