The Challenge of Discipling Muslim Background Believers

One of the greatest missiological challenges of the twenty-first century church is ministering to Islamic adherents. From its inception, Islam has grown from its humble beginning in the Arabian Peninsula into a world religion of over a billion followers from the Atlantic shores of Africa, the South Pacific, and the United States of America all the way to the steppes of Siberia. Islam has not only become a religion, but has dominated and integrated itself into the culture of its adherents. In response to this challenge, The author first underscores the colossal nature of the challenge of discipling Muslim converts to Christianity by highlighting some of the theological and cultural baggage that former Muslims bring into their new faith in Christ Jesus. Second, he examines some of the measures adopted by missionaries by analyzing the meaning of extraction and its antonym integration, in Muslim outreach, and how the methodology of extraction and integration affect the new converts. Finally, the author suggests some practical ways of discipling new Muslim converts for maximum benefits in the gospel outreach to the Islamic world.