SBC Leader Warns Church About Islam's Conquest of Europe
by Allie Martin
August 20, 2004
(AgapePress) - An official with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention says if Christians fail to respond to the spread of Islam, it will eventually become the dominant religion throughout Europe.The IMB's Chris Mills notes that indigenous Europeans have low birth rates, while many of the immigrant populations that are moving into the region have high birthrates. Therefore, he says, it is only a matter of time before the nations of Western Europe begin to experience a shift in the balance of culture and world view.
Mills, who made his comments on Mission Network News, says while increased opportunities for sharing the gospel abound, many European Christians are simply not acting on them. In fact, he notes, many times as Muslims move into an area, Christians move away. "Here in the States they use the expression 'white flight,' he explains, pointing out that a similar phenomenon is occurring across Western Europe on a cultural or religious basis.
"I remember going through Birmingham, England, one time and seeing a large cathedral with a 'for sale' sign' across the side of it," the IMB spokesman recalls. "It just said to me that Christians are packing up and moving out. Rather than reaching out to the neighbors, they're running."
The result of this trend is that more and more of the continent is being conceded to Islam. The outcome is obvious," Mills says. "The folks who are so faithful in practicing their religion that it shows up in the clothes they wear, the foods they eat, those kinds of things, it's such a daily part of their lives, [their faith] will become the dominant force in the region."
The SBC official notes that "Islam is the fastest growing religion in Western Europe." He warns of a growing need for Christian missionaries in Europe if the rapid spread of Islam is to be countered.
Mills believes European Christians and missionaries need to recognize the Islamization of Europe as the opportunity it is. Many Muslims living in Europe are searching for truth, he says, because Islam is only their cultural religion and not their heart's faith.
