By Nile Hosni —
After 15 years leading Muslims to Christ through Kingdom SAT TV, Michael Youssef returned to Australia — the place he landed as a refugee from Egypt — ministering to the 40% of Aussies who no longer have any faith in God.
His Wollongong crusade led to about 1,000 people receiving Christ, according to a report by Youssef’s organization, Leading the Way.
“I will never forget the sound of the chairs flicking as youth in droves stood in response on Friday night,” said Karen, an attendee.
“Last night we had invited a young man who has been on the edge of faith for some time. He surrendered his life to Jesus,” said Michael, another participant. “This morning [someone else] messaged me to say that her husband had responded to the call to Jesus.”
Dr. Youssef leads the Atlanta-based Church of the Apostles and is the founder of Leading the Way. He fled Egypt when the nation was arming to fight against Israel. After obtaining an exit visa, he traveled to Lebanon with $20 in his pocket. Six months later he traveled to Sydney, Australia, where he showed up in church, met his wife, Elizabeth, and studied in Moore Theological College to be ordained.
Later, he moved to the US and launched an international outreach ministry that has used satellite TV to broadcast the gospel in Arabic to the Middle East and Northern Africa.
On April 10, he went back to the starting place of his ministry, preaching the gospel in Wollongong, south of Sydney. Accustomed to winning Muslims to Christ, Youssef found himself winning Westerners who have lost their way from Christ.
“We are seeing cultural shifts worldwide as we have never seen before, even just in my lifetime. Australia is no exception,” said Youssef. “There are so many in the Illawarra region who are stumbling aimlessly in the dark. They desperately need the hope in Christ and His true peace and eternal life. The need for the uncompromising truth of Jesus Christ has never been greater.”
“Praising God for three amazing events,” a participant named Kim reported. “They were beautiful. A taste of heaven. I believe the Illawarra (the region in Australia) will not be the same.”
The Celebration concluded at WIN Entertainment Centre with 3,600 attendees, just a mile from where Youssef was ordained 50 years ago. Thousands more tuned in as his message was broadcast, streamed and translated into Arabic across the Middle East, live on Leading The Way’s KINGDOM SAT TV.
One family shared, “We drove several hours to get here. We didn’t know where our teenage daughter was spiritually. Tonight, she stood up and walked up to the front on her own to say yes to Jesus.”
Chris Makin, Director of Leading The Way Australia, highlighted the event’s role in uniting the local church. “This sense of unity has not happened before. Australia is post-Christian. We don’t now have a culture of going to church. . . . This Celebration is perfectly timed because there is a desire among the body of Christ to reach the local community who doesn’t know Jesus. Leading The Way has been a strong catalyst in this movement for unification.”
“What a sacred privilege to proclaim the unchanging Gospel to this Spirit-hungry crowd in a city that holds such deep meaning for me and my family,” Youssef says. “May Jesus Christ be exalted and His Kingdom advanced!”
