“When we first went to Morocco in the early 1980s, Moroccans just had no concept that any Moroccan could ever be a Christian,” Rob, who now lives in Spain, explained. “They were 100% Muslim, and the idea of any of them becoming a Christian was totally alien.”
But over the past several decades, God has been quietly at work. Little by little, men and women have come to faith in Christ. Even though the media often reports on this in a negative light, the fact that it’s being reported at all means something has changed; there is now a growing awareness in Morocco that Moroccan Christians do exist. The gospel is no longer viewed as something foreign, but something God is weaving into their own culture.
Today, Operation World estimates there are around 2,000 Moroccan believers in a nation of over 38 million. Most of these brothers and sisters follow Jesus privately. “Christian meetings have been very severely repressed and persecuted by the authorities,” Rob observes. “Most of those who follow Jesus don’t meet with other believers at all; they just have contacts through social media. Some visit one another and meet informally from time to time, but there certainly aren’t any Moroccan churches officially recognized.”
Still, there is real hope. Social media, gospel-centered TV programs, YouTube channels and online resources are opening doors for Moroccans to learn about Jesus in ways that simply weren’t possible decades ago.
“The challenge now,” Rob explained, “is to help the thousands responding to these media channels to meet with other believers, to form local fellowships and begin to serve others with love, wisdom and humility. They also need to read the Word of God every day in order to grow in knowledge, faith and character.”
Rob has also found many Moroccan Muslims surprisingly open to hearing about Jesus, far more than he ever expected.
“Many Muslims assume a conversation with a Christian will turn into an argument, but that’s not the approach I take,” he said. “Once we start talking, they are often pleasantly surprised.”
Rob begins by offering them a New Testament, explaining that it reveals the love of God through the life of Christ—the Savior who met people in their real-life struggles. Rather than debating theological issues that feel like barriers, he focuses on the compassion and help Jesus offered to people in need.
“Everyone I meet has problems,” he noted. “And Islam doesn’t help to resolve them. In fact, it adds to them, imposing obligations, things they must do. And it worries them that they are not doing enough to please God. Many young men carry an inferiority complex, a feeling of guilt, resentment, unresolved conflict with a brother or father, unemployment, hopelessness and loneliness. They’ve all got personal problems, so to show them how the Lord can help them with their problems is just so attractive, I think, to a Muslim.”
One man told Rob he had a serious personal struggle. Though he held a doctorate in psychology, he confessed he had not found peace in psychology or in Islam. Rob shared with him that true peace begins with God, through Christ who brings forgiveness, restores relationships and transforms the heart.
“So, I speak of the Lord Jesus Christ as someone who helps people to be happier and to become better people,” Rob said. “It’s a wonderful bridge to the gospel. Then of course we can move on to the redemption He accomplished for us, bearing away all our failures, errors and offenses, wiping the slate clean for all who will put their trust in Him.”
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