Just a quick note to commend Scott Seaton and the PCA’s Potomac Presbytery for introducing Overture #9 concerning Muslim-idiom translations.

I was with Frontiers for 18 years (director of development/advancement) and can confirm that this is HUGE issue.

I see that you’ve posted an article by Georges Houssney — excellent. The insider approach is built upon very dubious interpretation of 8-12 narrative passages of Scripture. It involves a fundamental re-definition of the church, in which the “church” is seen as arising out of the socio/religious identity of Islam. Church is re-interpreted as family or social structure.

There are many other concerns, as Georges Houssney or Scott Seaton will tell you. Other issues include the nature and identity of the Quranic Allah, the Quranic Isa, etc. These approaches (insider missiology, Muslim-idiom translations) are strongly opposed by key believers from a Muslim background.

I resigned from Frontiers over this set of issues — Frontiers’ position was conflicted at best.

David Harriman is a member of Mesa Baptist Church, Mesa, AZ, and a consultant with Keystone Consulting of Enka, NC. His principle client is a major funder of media and project work across the Middle East.