Christianity began in the Middle East and has existed there continuously since the first century. With the rise and rapid spread of Islam from the seventh century, Christianity has come under persecution. The decline in numbers is great compared to what they once were, but Christians still practice their faith throughout the region.
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The Christian churches of the Middle East are instrumental to the survival of the faith in a region where it is now, but a tiny minority of the overall populations. All denominations of Christian belief are active in the Middle East,
says an article in the Huffington Post.
Here is a list of the 10 biggest Christian churches in the Middle East:
1. Roman Catholic: Roman or Latin Catholics make up nearly 3 million in number throughout the Middle East, and are one of the largest Catholic groups of the Christian faiths there.
2. Maronite Catholic Church: The church is the largest of the Eastern Catholic faiths in the region. It has a membership of over 3 million members and has a strong presence in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and the Holy Land.
3. Melkite Catholic Church: The church is second only to the Maronite Church for the Eastern Catholic faithful in the Middle East. Its membership is spread throughout the region but the majority live in Lebanon.
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4. Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch: The church is the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the Middle East with a membership of over 1 million people. The faithful are based in Syria, Lebanon, the Arabian peninsula, Iraq, and Iran.
5. Coptic Orthodox is base in Egypt and is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox churches with a membership of over 6 million. It is mainly an Egyptian church, but has branches in Lebanon Iraq and the Arabian peninsula.
6. The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch: The church is based in Syria with adherents in Lebanon and other Middle East countries. The membership of the church is just nearly 2 million people.
7. The Armenian Apostolic Church-Catholicosate of Cilica: The faith is based in Lebanon with churches in Syria, the Gulf States and Iran. The current membership of the faith is put at 650,000.
8. The Chaldean Catholic Church of Babylon: The Church has a membership of over 350,000 and is based in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.
9. The Evangelical Synod of the Nile: The church is based in Egypt, and one of the largest Evangelical Christian movements in the Middle East with a membership of over 250,000 people.
10. The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem: Based in Palestine, the church has a combined membership of over 400,000. The church is also strong in Jordan and Israel.
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