In some regions of the world, the number of Christians is rapidly growing. This is particularly true in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The Middle East and North Africa are worth noting, as they have traditionally been identified as the heartland of Islam for over fourteen centuries. In many remarkable ways, this region is currently experiencing a Christian spiritual awakening, as significant numbers of people openly abandon Islam, rushing to believe the gospel of Jesus and proclaim Him as Lord and Savior.

Why is Islam losing its grab on its heartland, and why is there a remarkable conversion to Christ? What is happening among Muslims in terms of the gospel proclamation?

In the Middle East, Christianity is rising and gaining followers each day. Christianity is witnessing a remarkable work of the Spirit of God. Unlike the case in the West, on Sundays, local churches here are full of worshippers, many of whom come from a Muslim background. Their lives completely changed through the gospel, clearly proclaimed by the local Christian believers. Conversion to Christ does occur a lot among Muslims. I met men and women, believers in Christ who used to be Sunnis, Shiites, or even Druze—some come from Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqi, or other ethnic backgrounds.

They all have one thing in common: All have abandoned Islam and are now serious followers of Christ despite being disclaimed by their Muslim families, persecuted by their Muslim neighbors, or harassed by local governments.

We are not talking about Christian believers switching churches. Evangelistic work is on the rise, and local churches are filled with numerous new believers who are genuinely coming to follow Jesus Christ despite real persecution, an apparent lack of resources, and a significant shortage of theological education.

But why are multitudes of Muslims abandoning Islam in our generation? There could be several factors, including clear gospel witness of local Christians. However, one factor is obvious—the internet.

Unlike any previous generation in the history of Islam, Muslims are now able to access information about their faith that they never knew before. In past eras, a Muslim needed to travel to a local library to read about Muhammad’s life and deeds. Now, these are accessible with one click. In the past, knowledge of Islam was filtered and controlled by Muslim clerics who determined what to reveal and what to hide from their texts.

Many aspects of Muhammad’s life have been hidden for centuries. Still, today, any Muslim on the planet can learn what the original Islamic sources reveal about Muhammad’s deception by Satan (surah 53:19-22), his marriage to a nine-year-old girl (Bukhari: 5134), his massacre of a Jewish tribe (Abudawud: 3005), his launching of military incursions against innocent tribes that refused to follow his religious message, and many other stories.

Islam is shielded no longer. Muhammad’s actions and character are not protected against evaluation. The internet doesn’t only provide access to information; it also allows criticism and evaluation of a religion that has been shielded for centuries through terrorizing critics.

There has never been a moment like this in the past 14 centuries since Muhammad allegedly preached in Arabia. People can now criticize Islam openly and debate its tenets and claims without fear of retaliation and violence. This openness in criticizing Muhammad’s actions and Islam’s claims—with such high frequency—didn’t even exist two decades ago.

And the Church is winning the moment, as ambassadors of Christ proclaim the gospel to Muslim seekers in the heartland of Islam.

What can the Church in the West do to partner in this crucial revival in the Global South and the heartland of Islam? It can assist in advancing the gospel worldwide by supporting local churches. Numerous local churches are doing excellent work of evangelism among the nonbelievers, but they lack financial resources and theological education suitable to their contexts.

Some Christians in the West have grown weary, believing that evangelism seldom leads to conversions among Muslims. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a remarkable moment for all followers of Christ to partner together to fulfill Christ’s commission to the end of the earth.