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As you have probably heard by now, Doug Leonard has been selected to serve in the Sultanate Oman as the director of the Al Amana Center, an institute for Christian/Muslim Interfaith learning and cooperation. He has written to you from Oman where he have been meeting with the board and current director Michael Bos to learn the ropes. The center has become officially recognized by the government of Oman and has gained a reputation of being a focal point where significant interfaith cooperation and understanding is taking place. The Al Amana Center is the only Christian organization in the Gulf doing interfaith work between Christians and Muslims. His have attached my profile which describes the work I will be doing in more detail.
Doug is available to speak in churches from November 18th through the end of February about my work in Oman. If you are interested in having him come to your church to preach and/or lead worship and give a presentation, please contact Kathy DeKock at the RCA offices. You can send her an email: kdekock@rca.org
or you can call Kathy at 712-737-4952 Kathy will be arranging his speaking schedule. Profile:
MINISTRY Christian-Muslim Interfaith Education LOCATION Muscat, Oman PARTNER Al Amana Centre What Need Is God Showing Us? Tensions between Muslims and Christians have been growing in parts of the Middle East as a result of isolation between faith groups, misinformation, and mistrust. There is a need to promote religious tolerance in the Middle East in order to protect the religious freedom of people of all faiths in the region. Christians also need to be educated about Islam in the context of an Arab country. Oman has achieved a good balance, benefiting from the trends of modernization while maintaining a very traditional culture. This makes Oman an ideal country in which to learn about Arab culture. What Is God Telling Us to Do? The RCA supports Doug Leonard as director of Al Amana Centre. His work includes staff oversight, vision casting, communication and developing relationships with partners and supporting organizations, fundraising, and program design. Doug will build partnerships between Al Amana Centre and denominations and organizations in both the Middle East and the U.S. that are undertaking similar interfaith work. How Are We Doing What God Is Asking? Doug’s work at the centre will promote a climate of peaceful coex-istence between Christians and Muslims in the Gulf region. The centre will work to develop an ecumenical platform and a voice for Christians in the region. It will continue to provide an immersion education for Christians to learn about Islam in the context of an Arab country; Doug hopes to help the center advance its long-standing goal of launching a semester-long immersion program for students from RCA colleges and seminaries. The centre will also continue to sponsor visits to the U.S. by high-level Omani religious leaders, giving them an opportunity to learn more about America and the place of faith in American life. Who Is Our Partner? Al Amana Centre grew out of the mission of the RCA in the Arabian Gulf that began in 1893. The RCA established Oman’s first hospital and its first coeducational school. Al Amana Centre continues this century- old partnership with the people of Oman, providing immersion education, symposiums, and speaking tours to build bridges of understanding between Christians and Muslims in the Gulf region. Up Close and Personal A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Doug most recently served as pastor of Reformed Church of Cortlandtown in Montrose, New York. He studied cultural anthropology at State University of New York; after graduation, he worked for two years as a youth leader in Native American ministry with the RCA in Omaha and Winnebago, Nebraska. He enjoys learning about other cultures and has felt called to serve the RCA in the mission field for a long time. His hobbies include sculpting, playing the guitar, and singing. Doug’s father, Roger Leonard, is also an RCA pastor. Profile in Mission Global Mission REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA FOLLOWING CHRIST IN MISSION DOUG LEONARD Al Amana Centre is a place for Muslim-Christian dialogue. |