ATHENS:

Former refugees are now discipling Europe.

Leaving home and finding God.

The AcroCenter in Athens was started by missionaries Larry and Cathy Bowles as a discipleship training program. The Acro (Athens Christian Refugee Organization) Center works in cooperation with and serves as an extension of three major evangelical refugee outreach organizations currently operating in Athens. It exists to provide the opportunity for deeper Bible training and focused discipleship with new Christian refugee believers while they are still in Athens.

The first step was simple: meet their physical needs. Larry and Cathy and their small team met any and every refugee they could, providing food, water, blankets, clothing, and healthcare. This opened doors to share with them who Jesus is. To their surprise, they found that many of these refugees were curious and actually eager to learn about this.

With the understanding that they didn’t have much time with the refugees, Larry and Cathy developed a 5-week, 60-hour discipleship course to teach people about the Gospel and who God truly is. It’s extremely intense, but it has been very effective with the Muslim refugees who are seeking a relationship with God. The program is designed to meet new refugee believers where they are educationally, while providing a solid foundation of sound Biblical training and discipleship.

This training gives them a strong grasp of scripture and equips them not only to live a life for Jesus, but to teach, evangelize, and make disciples of their new fellow countrymen (not only while they are in Athens, but also wherever the Lord moves them as they pass into other countries within Europe and beyond).

There are many challenges in doing this work. For instance, when refugees first come to the AcroCenter, they are given a Bible. Even this is a foreign concept to them as most refugees are fleeing a place where owning a Bible is illegal—and in some cases, punishable by death. From the very start, their worldviews are shaken. Most have grown up in a religion that is defined by domination and control, where rules are maintained by fear, intimidation, and harsh punishment. With Jesus, however, they are met with love, grace, mercy, and hope.

The motto of the AcroCenter is “We are looking for those who are looking for Jesus.” And when you think about it, that’s every refugee. They fled Islamic oppression in search of what Jesus provides even if they didn’t realize it at the time. Only in Christ can they experience true transformation and real deliverance from the tyranny of Islam. 

One of the most uplifting stories of this ministry is Larry and Cathy’s exit strategy. They believe that God will build His church through His people. Who better to disciple a Muslim refugee than a former Muslim refugee? Larry says it as plainly as it can be said, “We can equip them, but it should be they who lead, not us.” With all the refugees pouring into Athens every day, it will be former Muslim refugees who God uses to disciple Europe.

Three AcroCenter alumni, Javad, Mehrdad, and Aram, are doing this already. Through their own initiative and with the support of One Kingdom, they have created a powerful video ministry. Every week, they post informative Gospel-centered videos that are being sent and viewed in their homeland of Iran (as well as other Muslim nations). Currently, it is too dangerous for them to go back and share Christianity, but God has provided them with an opportunity to do so with technology.