The Reverend Frank Farag was trained in the Egyptian Baptist Theological College in Cairo and felt God's call to migrate to Australia, not knowing where the future lay. His Cairo congregation wept as he left and he assured them he would return if things did not work out in Australia.
Things did work out, Frank Farag had heard God's call sure enough, and he now serves as both the Cross Cultural Director for the Baptist Churches of New South Wales and as the Baptist Minister at the Crest Community Arabic Speaking Baptist congregation.
Although a champion high jumper who had earned a place at the prestigious Sports Academy at the Alexandria University, Frank Farag's Christian story was not like sailing over the high jump bar.
As a young man he was listening to the radio on one memorable occasion when a preacher exclaimed, "Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath" and those words rung true in his heart as to what a real God would be like.
"High school was not a time of fun for me, although I was the champion high jumper, and on one depressing occasion I took a whole bunch of pills. One of my seven brothers discovered what I'd done, called my parents, the ambulance was sent for and I was rushed to hospital and recovered," Frank explained.
Frank Farag was one of the cross cultural delegates at the recent Baptist World Alliance Living Water Australasian-South Pacific conference held in Cairns where he gave a video testimony for Australian Missionary News IPTV.
http://tv.bushorchestra.com
"When I was in hospital, young people from the local evangelical church heard what I'd done and they visited me every day. I felt this was intrusive, so when they invited me to church, my response was 'yes' so they would get them off my back," Frank Farag told Mark Tronson of the Australian Missionary News IPTV.
When he did attend the church, as promised, it was a New Year's Eve service. The Pastor preached about a new start, a new beginning with the Lord and invited people to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Frank Farag made this decision and the Lord came into his heart, and he related that he had become a new creation and was full of joy and happiness.
"It was not long afterwards I began to sense the call of the Lord upon my life and I thought to myself I would do anything except become a Pastor and preach," Frank Farag explained.
"But this call upon my life was insistent and it was at a Christian conference in Alexandria where the Indian preacher called, 'When God calls you must come and serve Him' and that was all I heard."
Without appointment, Frank turned up to introduce himself to the President of the Egyptian Baptist Churches and he was so struck with this young brash champion high jumper, that he took it upon himself to authorise Frank's entry into theological college although there are usually numerous application forms and an Assembly vote to be negotiated.
The rest is history and the Lord's calling upon Frank Farag to Australia has been a hallmark of his servanthood and ministry to the Lord Jesus Christ.