[1]AMMAN, Jordan (BP)–When Paul and Virginia Smith, Southern Baptist representatives in Jordan, looked out over the 29 small faces that made up the first class at Amman Baptist School, they couldn’t help but wonder if this was really what God had planned.
It was the fall of 1974, eight years since Southern Baptist workers in Jordan had purchased the land for the school. In those eight years, God had dealt one by one with a multitude of problems they had faced on their way to starting the school. They felt sure God wanted them to reach out to Jordanians in Amman through a Baptist school.
But after the school opened, it took more a year for Baptists to see much evidence that God was at work toward that goal. What was the turning point? When Jordan’s Princess Bessma and her brother, Prince Hassan, enrolled their children in the school, the community followed suit. By the time the school marked its fifth anniversary, 260 students were enrolled.
This year Jordanian Baptists celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Amman Baptist School with a week of special events highlighting the school’s unique place in Amman, Jordan’s capital. The celebration included an open house, student exhibits and an alumni gathering.
The school, operated by the Jordanian Baptist Convention, is one of two Baptist schools in Jordan. The other is located in the town of Ajloun.
When the Amman Baptist School opened, it was Southern Baptist workers’ first attempt to reach non-Christian Jordanians in Amman with Christ’s love. Until that point, Baptist work in the city had been limited mainly to cultural Christians.
“The doors were wide open,” said Smith, now retired and living in Oklahoma. “We had a wonderful opportunity to go into Jordanian homes, into the king’s palace and the prince’s palace and literally say why [we] were here — because of God’s concern for the people and the love of Jesus.”
In keeping with the organizers’ original intentions, the school has become a strong Christian influence in Amman. Former students talk openly about the spiritual lessons they learned at the school.
“When the students graduate and talk about the school, you can feel that they received a special spiritual, loving atmosphere [there],” said Mae Halteh, the school’s principal from 1984-97. “It’s like a big family.”
Few Christian institutions in the Middle East have kept a high public profile like the Amman Baptist School. Several members of the royal family attended the school, including one of the late King Hussein’s daughters. After touring the institution in 1975, King Hussein financed construction of the wall that now surrounds the school. He also attended a chapel service there.
In the early 1990s, the Jordan Baptist Convention took over the deed to the land and assumed control of the school. Since its second year of operation, the school has been self-supporting. Some Southern Baptist representatives serve there as teachers.
One of the school’s most important Christian influences is the kindergarten, where children regardless of religious background gather to sing Christian songs and listen to someone read from the Bible.
“The purpose of this school is the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Hala Haddadin, the kindergarten principal. “When we tell the children the stories of Jesus’ life, they go home and share with their parents.”
In Jordan, like in many Middle Eastern countries, a gulf lies between Christians and Muslims that has existed since the crusades. Satisfying needs of the Muslim community — such as education — is one way Christians have found to bridge that gap.
“When you build that bridge, you can take the gospel across to the people who need to hear it,” Smith said.
“Arab parents are so involved in their children’s lives, and they are very involved in their education,” added Leah Chambers of Morristown, Tenn., a Southern Baptist teacher at the school. “If you are going to love them, you love their children.”