The Arabic Ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Allentown seeks to witness to God’s love by walking with the members of the local Arabic-speaking community, offering spiritual resources and social services, and promoting cultural understandings within both the Arabic and non-Arabic communities. More than ten years ago, an insightful Elder helped the church recognize the need for a ministry to the many people of the Lehigh Valley who are of Arabic descent. A strong community of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants and their descendants has become an integral part of the fabric of the community and has been important to the life and ministry of our church.

The City of Allentown, in particular, has been a welcoming community to immigrants of Middle Eastern origin relocating to the United States. Approximately 20,000 people of Middle Eastern origin live in the Lehigh Valley with about 10,000 of those living in Allentown and Lehigh County.  The population is growing as refugees flee economic hardship, political problems, war, and religious persecution in their home countries. When they arrive here, they need to establish themselves, find homes, send their children to school, and get jobs.  Although many of the Arabic immigrants are well-educated, others are not.  In either case, they face problems which are directly related to their inability to speak and write English.

At the same time, the international climate has seen a marked increase in hostility to people of Middle Eastern origin.  Mistrust of anyone with an Arabic surname has been apparent to even the most casual observer. Both Muslim and Christian people have been targeted. With our friends in the Arabic community, First Presbyterian seeks to reduce the antagonism and suspicion by providing education about Arabic customs and language.

The vision of the congregation is to absorb established immigrants into the greater English-speaking church in as many ways as they are comfortable rather than to establish a separate Arabic-speaking congregation.   Church services in Arabic are offered on a weekly basis and on holidays.  Help with social services is provided for recent immigrants.  In many cases, second and third generation may not need special services in Arabic and are fully integrated into the larger church.  Arabic language classes seek to encourage young people and the non-Arabic community to embrace and understand the Middle Eastern heritage and culture.  The Arabic fellowship has also provided Middle Eastern meals for the congregation and Presbytery, and speakers and educational events for in the general community.

Moufid Khoury, a commissioned lay pastor in Lehigh Presbytery and Director of the Arabic Mission and Ministry is the primary contact with the Arabic congregation. He has extensive connections to the local and national Arabic communities and he provides both spiritual resources and social services. Moufid Khoury created and conducts the Sunday Arabic worship service every week, he has experience working with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Social Security, the Department of Public Welfare and numerous other government entities and he is fluent in English and Arabic.