A longtime missionary to Muslims says war, displacement and disillusionment across the Middle East are prompting some Muslims to ask new questions about faith and explore Christianity, with testimonies of conversion emerging from Kurdish and other communities across the region.
The account comes from Georges Houssney, founder and president of Horizons International, who has spent decades in ministry among Muslims. CBN News interviewed Houssney along with former Kurdish Muslims from Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq who described their journeys to Christian faith.
Houssney says periods of conflict often create spiritual openness as people confront suffering, displacement and questions that existing religious assumptions may not answer for them. Some converts interviewed by CBN also described dreams or visions involving Jesus as part of their personal testimony.
Those claims should be understood for what they are: ministry reports and individual testimonies, not independently measurable population statistics. There is no reliable census capable of establishing how many Muslims across the Middle East are converting to Christianity, particularly in countries where changing religion can carry significant family, social or legal consequences.
Decades of Ministry to Muslims
Horizons International identifies Houssney as a Lebanese-born Christian leader who grew up in the predominantly Muslim city of Tripoli and came to faith in Christ as a teenager. He founded Horizons International in 1990 after years of ministry, Bible translation and work among Muslim communities.
The organization now serves in more than 20 countries and focuses heavily on equipping Christians for relationships and ministry among Muslims. Houssney has argued that evangelism in Muslim communities depends on long-term relationships, cultural understanding and a willingness to communicate Christian beliefs clearly without treating Muslims as political enemies.
The testimonies also fit into a broader theme THRIVE! has been following: Christian faith growing in unexpected places and under difficult conditions. That includes reports about Iran’s underground church growing despite persecution and earlier stories such as M.I.A.’s public account of encountering Jesus and converting to Christianity.
Why This Matters to People of Faith
News from the Middle East is understandably dominated by missiles, governments, military strategy and human suffering. Christians should take those realities seriously. But the Church’s interest in the region cannot end with geopolitics.
Every nation discussed in a military briefing is also filled with people made in the image of God—Muslims, Christians, Jews and others—whose spiritual lives cannot be reduced to the decisions of their governments.
The reports from Horizons International are a reminder that Christians can oppose terrorism or injustice without treating Muslim people as enemies. Christian mission is ultimately centered on witness, love, truth and invitation.
THRIVE! Perspective
The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 calls Christians to make disciples of all nations. Jesus’ command is not suspended during war, and it does not divide people into those who are culturally easy to love and those who are difficult.
Second Corinthians 5:20 describes believers as “ambassadors for Christ.” An ambassador represents another kingdom. That should shape how Christians engage Muslims: not with fear, caricature or triumphalism, but with confidence in the Gospel and genuine love for the person in front of them.
Testimonies of conversion should be celebrated without inflating them into unsupported statistics. If God is moving in individual lives across the Middle East, the faithful response is gratitude, prayer and continued commitment to patient, courageous witness.
