JETS was founded in 1991 by Dr. Imad Shehadeh to equip Arab believers to minister to the Arab speaking world. This is a huge opportunity as only four percent of the populations of these countries confess to having a saving relationship with Jesus. To date, JETS has produced over 560 graduates serving in 26 countries around the world, in capacities such as church planters, assistant pastors, youth leaders, women’s ministry leaders, children’s ministry leaders, and in other church and parachurch roles. Most of these students receive financial assistance largely through personal sponsorships. Of the 60 Evangelical churches in Jordan more than half are pastored by JETS graduates. JETS has seven accredited degree programs from one-year diplomas to doctoral levels and is now the largest Christian theological seminary in the region. Initially, classes were conducted in rented locations until JETS moved into its current campus in 2013.
JETS also has an in-house publishing department. Dr. Shehadeh has authored several books, articles, and volumes in Arabic and English, including a series of books on the Trinity, the science of the last things, responding to evil and suffering, the Hebrew and Greek languages, the science of salvation, confidence in the Bible, interpretations of the Gospel of John, Romans, James, and Revelation, church ordinations, and others. He has recorded several television episodes covering the themes of defending the faith and the Trinity.
Restrictions on Enrollment
The government has put restrictions on the number of annually enrolled students at 116 at all levels. There are also two other restrictions:
- Believers from a Muslim background are not allowed to study in person. JETS tries to teach them online, but with great caution.
- The Jordanian government controls the students’ visas. Since most of the students come from outside Jordan, each year JETS struggles with knowing how many exactly will be allowed into the country.
Vision for the Near Future
- Increase enrollment by offering a variety of programs including informal training.
- Publish several key works within the next three to four years:
- the role of the ordinances in protecting salvation by grace through faith (450 pages)
- understanding and overcoming evil and suffering (900 pages)
- commentary on the Book of Hebrews (900 pages)
- a new translation of the Bible in Arabic with extensive footnotes (1,500 pages)
Opportunities
Provide training in English for the non-Arabic speaking Muslim countries.
Challenges
Leadership succession which involves preparing and recommending key Jordanian faculty for the next tier of leadership.
Prayer Requests
- Success in all the new programs described above.
- Strength, completion, and funding of the new books.
- Increased enrollment and ease on visa restrictions.
- God’s choice of the next President of JETS within the next five years.
- A smooth transition.
Testimony of Student Natale Peter Geermal
Natale is 24 years old and is from Khartoum, Sudan. He was raised as a Catholic, but in 2015, he says, “From that day, I started to enjoy His love as my personal savior.” His plan after graduating with his bachelor’s degree is to, “help in the missionary service of the church and to serve the Lord in the Land of Arabs particularly.” He says he chose JETS, “because it may give me a correct Biblical teaching without any heresy or interpretation.”
Testimony of Student Marim Rady Fakry Khalil
Marim is an Egyptian woman, married to a Jordanian man, and they have a son and a daughter. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting but has not had the opportunity to work because her degree is not recognized in Jordan.
She says, “I met Jesus in high school when I was questioning and seeking answers. I worked at a factory owned by a believer who impressed me with his thinking and his answers to my questions. My family attends a Coptic Orthodox Church. I read and researched until I understood that faith is a personal relationship with God, not just a set of preserved rituals and prayers. I was encouraged to study the Bible and after studying it, I realized the meaning of God as a loving, caring father. Since then (in 2008), I have continued to search deeper into the Bible and immerse myself in the word of God as if it were a treasure and a precious thing. I have faced many persecutions and challenges because I stepped outside of my practice in the rituals of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In one instance, during the Egyptian revolution, I was prevented from attending a meeting at a member’s house in the same area because it was a gathering of new believers. The door of the house was locked, and I was not allowed to go. I jumped out of a window on the first floor and tore the ligaments in my foot, which swelled up. After the meeting ended, I went to the hospital and received treatment. At that time, I could not bear to attend every meeting at the church or any service or volunteering that I was involved in. I enjoyed being among my spiritual family, which is the body of Christ, and trying to live out the word of God practically.
My ministry was in Sunday school, making calls to check how the others are doing, and evangelism. I summarized spiritual books and wrote them on paper and distributed them so my youth brethren could benefit from the word of the Lord and meditate on it.
When my family noticed the change in my life and practical application of God’s word, they were amazed by the transformation. With time, they allowed me to attend church and serve. At that moment, I thanked God with all my heart for this change after suffering. I cannot imagine my life without Christ and my relationship with Him.
One of the dreams I had was to study and delve deeper into the Bible and Christ’s teachings. This dream came true when I enrolled to study at JETS, where I can serve the Lord, learn, and teach others to grow the ministry in the Arab world. I want people to realize the beauty of a relationship with Jesus and be a reason for others to know Him and His plan for their lives.
After completing my studies and with the Lord’s will and guidance, and understanding the basics of ministry and vision, I aspire to be the salt and light of the earth, to be a light to every person who does not know Christ. I chose studying at JETS because it aligned with my faith and the depth of its education in interpreting God’s word and how to search it. I hope to learn more about God’s word and how to apply it in my life and relationship with Christ to be an ambassador for Christ.
Through the tests and circumstances in my life, I learned to surrender, rely on God, pray deeply, and have strong relationship with Him. Because of my daughter Jessica, who is five years old and has delayed growth, cognitive delays, and needs daily sessions, I have learned to submit my request to the Lord and to pray for her special needs. This has caused financial burdens due to her need for a special school, but we have seen small improvements in her growth after every prayer and sometimes even after frustrations. In some instances, bullying of her and her brother has caused pain, my son was the only Christian in a governmental school, but we thank God for every challenge. We accept good and bad challenges from the Lord, and we ask for a special prayer to give us the strength and patience to endure this challenge. My husband and I learned that God has power over everything, and we pray and unite with each other.
I request a special prayer so that God gives us the ability to endure and be patient with this challenge. My husband and I have learned about God’s ability over everything, and we have learned to pray, bow down, and unite with each other.
