Egypt, Middle East
View report dated: August 27, 2020
View report dated: December 12, 2021
View report dated: November 30, 2022
View report dated: April 4, 2024
Report Date: December 23, 2025
On Wednesday the 5th of November 2025 I met with Pastors B and G along with a team from Chase Oaks Church in the USA. We spent some time with them, received a report from them and they answered questions. NB translated for us and helped explain some things as well.
B had driven from Alexandria to meet us and was a little late as there were traffic jams due to all the people coming to see the new museum and there was fog on the road along the river.
Currently there are no funds going into the loan fund, it finished in the previous year. However, the programme continues and is proving to be a great boost to the churches that are involved in it.
There is currently EGP2.5M in the revolving fund (US$53,000). Regular cycles of loans have been given out and repayments are being made.
Approximately EGY250,000 has been accumulated in service charges. Some of this has been added to the capital, some is used for costs, mainly transport, and some is used to help fund the pastors who are effectively the loan officers. They help the people write their proposals, hand out the funds and make regular collections.
At the time of our visit, 17 churches were actively involved in the programme and approximately 1,200 families are benefitting from the loans. This adds up to somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 people.
They are very encouraged by the repayment percentage. Of all the loans that went out in the last year, only three loans have defaulted, two because the loanees passed away and one because the business collapsed. Sometimes there is a delay in repayments, but it is a minor issue.
Some people have taken up to 10 rounds of loans to grow their businesses. Some are employing other people to help them operate their business. Usually, the amount they take for each loan increases each time. They do have to start small and prove their faithfulness.
Personal Stories
It was not possible to visit the places as mentioned. They told us some stories and have sent through many photos of people with their businesses. I am including a few photos which are largely self-explanatory in terms of the businesses that have been commenced.
The people who are receiving the loans are over the moon that the church is investing in them. They constantly express that they never expected the church to support them. All their lives they heard the opposite, that they were expected to support the church. This is creating a positive response from people towards the churches.
The pastors who are participating in the programme are very encouraged by the way this is impacting the church. People are much more regular at church because they can earn an income. Giving has gone up and people are much more engaged in church. It is a very positive outcome.
Some pastors are reluctant to be involved as they do not want to handle money or don’t understand about business. There is also some resistance from some who do not think that churches should be involved with money. This is partly a legacy of missionary teaching.
I had the opportunity to speak to 21 of the Holiness Movement pastors who were in town for the monthly training. I briefly asked them their thoughts about the benefits, and they were very happy about it and the outcomes it was having in their churches.
Plans for the Future
There are no plans apart from continuing to grow the impact of the programme and get more people involved. They are bringing in a couple of younger people to assist with development. Each year at the annual convention they report on the progress and growth, and this is the main opportunity to talk about it to their people. It also makes sure there is accountability for the use of the funds and that they keep on track.
The high inflation is causing issues for people, especially those who are buying and selling goods.
The amount of each loan has had to increase because of inflation. That does mean that fewer people at any one time have loans.
Because several of the projects are rural, these loans take longer to repay, and the cash flow is seasonal. This drags out the timeframes of repayments. They are going to look more carefully at the type of projects they lend to.
It would be nice to be able to get out to visit some of these people and next time there, we will try to do that. It will probably mean having to invite them to come into the city to meet us in a church, away from the public eye.
1) That the programme continues to have an impact on many lives and is empowering many families
2) That the capital amount is not eroding despite the high inflation
3) That there is a high level of repayments and few loans have defaulted
4) That the economic empowerment is impacting the spiritual growth of the people with the loans and the churches they belong to
This is an excellent programme, and it is great to see it continuing to benefit so many people. It should continue for many more years at the current rate.
No funding is required for the foreseeable future.
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