Entrance of the north side of Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church, Cairo
The Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) is the largest Eastern Protestant denomination in Egypt. It blends Reformed theology with Coptic cultural heritage and plays a major role in education, media outreach, and interdenominational dialogue across the Arab world. The church is known for its unique liturgical style, its leadership in Protestant education, and its influence through congregations such as Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church. The Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) (also called the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt, Arabic: الكنيسة الإنجيلية المشيخية al-Kanisah al-Injiliyyah al-Mashyykhia) is a Protestant church that started as a mission of the United Presbyterian Church of North America among CopticEgyptians in the late nineteenth century. The Evangelical Church of Egypt became autonomous in 1957 and officially independent in 1958. It has eight presbyteries, 314 congregations, and about 250,000 members.[1][2]
Emile Zaki is a pastor and also the general secretary of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Egypt, also known as the Synod of the Nile. The Synod of the Nile has about 250 congregations worldwide, including a few worshiping groups without their own building. It helps with running hospitals, clinics, social service and employment agencies, retreat centers, day schools, and its own seminary. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church founded the nation's first primary school for girls.[3]
To train pastors the denomination maintains the Evangelical Presbyterian Seminary in Cairo. It is the oldest Protestant Seminary in the country.[4]
Worship and Liturgy
Interior of Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church, known for its Reformed Coptic Rite
The Evangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile) practices a modified form of the Coptic Rite, blending Reformed theology with Arabic liturgical poetry, communal prayer, and musical elements rooted in Egypt’s ancient Christian tradition. Services are conducted in Arabic and often feature slow, chant-like melodies, poetic invocations, and spontaneous intercessory prayer. Churches such as Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church exemplify this fusion, offering worship that is both evangelical and deeply Eastern.
A typical service includes extended musical worship led by choirs, scripture readings, sermons, and communal hymns. Gestures such as raised hands, kneeling, and the sign of the cross are common, reflecting the church’s Coptic cultural heritage. The liturgical tone is reverent and emotionally expressive, often culminating in moments of repentance and national intercession.
This Reformed Coptic Rite is practiced across many parishes within the Synod of the Nile and is considered a unique expression of Eastern Protestant Christianity.[5][6]
Revival and Worship Culture
In 2025, a widely viewed service at Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church featured a sermon by Rev. Dr. Sameh Maurice that called the church to national repentance and spiritual awakening. The service included poetic worship, communal intercession, and a concluding hymn in a Coptic-Middle Eastern tone, reflecting the church’s unique liturgical identity. The event was broadcast on Alkarma TV and became a symbol of Eastern Protestant revival in Egypt.
The sermon emphasized themes of spiritual urgency, national intercession, and the restoration of joy, peace, and authority through prayer. Maurice’s message, delivered with tears and trembling voice, called the church to awaken from spiritual sleep and reclaim its divine calling. The congregation responded with communal prayer, emotional worship, and a renewed commitment to the Reformed Coptic Rite.
This service is considered a defining moment in the modern history of the Evangelical Church of Egypt, showcasing its blend of Reformed theology and Coptic spirituality.[7][8]
These Evangelical Christians operate in a context far different from North America. Between 88 and 90 percent of Egyptians are Muslim. Of the 10-12% who are Christian, over 90-92 percent are Coptic Orthodox. The 8-10 percent of non-Orthodox Christians include Catholics and several Protestant groups. However, a steady trickle of Orthodox and Catholic Copts are joining the Evangelicals because they are seen as (among other things) less laden with heavy ritual, more generous with welfare and more flexible over marriage and divorce.[9]
Evangelical Christians belonging to this group form a tight-knit community where everybody knows everybody and share common rituals like serving as "Beit Feel" in Beit El-Salam in Agami and, more recently, going to Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church's hip camps known as Wadi Sports Camps. The early evangelicals played a role in Egypt's education and this was documented in Paul Sedra's book: From Mission to Modernity. The biggest evangelical church in Egypt is Kasr El Dobara Evangelical Church (KDEC). The most famous Evangelical choir in Egypt is "The Better Life Team." Rafiq Habib, the son of the former head of the Synod, Samuel Habib, was the Vice President of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party.[15]
Education
The Synod owns 4 schools in Egypt: Ramses College, New Ramses College, British Ramses College and Al Salam school in Assiut (formerly known as Presley Memorial Institute, founded by former American Evangelical missionaries). The sons and daughters of the Egyptian Evangelical community tend to attend these schools.
Media Outreach
Evangelicals of the Arab world (mainly Egypt and Lebanon) air most of their content on Sat-7.
↑ "دليل الكنائس". مجلس الإعلام والنشر سنودس النيل الإنجيلي جمهورية مصر العربية (in Arabic). 2020-09-05. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
↑ "Copts and marriage: You can't just marry anyone: A secular step in a conservative country", dated Jun 3rd 2010, Cairo, from The Economist print edition.
↑ Lage- und Tätigkeitsbericht des Gustav-Adolf-Werkes für das Jahr 2013/14 Diasporawerk der Evangelischen Kirche in Deutschland (GAW yearly report, in German)
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