COA ministry targets two major groups:

• Arabs from a Christian background. Many of these Arabs trace their faith back to the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul (cf., Mk. 3:8, Acts 11:26, Gal. 1:15-22). Nonetheless, most early Arab diaspora were Christians who spread to North America from the Middle East as a result of political conflict, religious repression, and stagnant economies. Today, their number may exceed one million and mostly unchurched. Reaching this group with the Gospel by endeavoring to rekindle the pristine old saving faith is one of COA goals.



• Arabs with an Islamic background. These include Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa. They arrived in the U.S. after World War II. Some, such as the Palestinians and the Kurds, immigrated because of conflicts that forced them to leave their land. Others came for educational and economic opportunities. Today approximately 1.5 million Arab Muslim make North America their home