Some mission stories grow slowly, faithfully, and over many years.
The ministry that would become Raleigh Arabic Baptist Church had been connected to Trinity since the early 1980s. The anniversary book records that the Arabic Ministry began in 1984, meeting in individual homes, and was led by Rev. Bill and Nancy Hern. In 1986, Rev. Charles Farag and his wife, Susan, were called to lead the church through a partnership with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and the Raleigh Baptist Association.
By 2009, the Arabic Nurturing Committee was working to make a long-held dream become reality: the Raleigh Arabic Baptist Church.
At the November 2009 Church Conference, Kay Bissette, chair of the committee, made the recommendation:
“The Arab Nurturing Committee recommends that the Trinity Arabic Mission become The Raleigh Arabic Baptist Church, on January 1, 2010.”
The recommendation was approved.
A joint worship service was held to officially launch the new church, and the agreement was included in the appendix of the anniversary book.
According to the Raleigh Arabic Baptist Church’s website, as quoted in the anniversary book, the goal of the church is to reach the Triangle Arabic-speaking people group with the gospel of Christ, introducing Jesus Christ as Lord and Master to as many people as possible, with a focus on Arabic-speaking people living in Raleigh and Wake County.
That mission grew out of years of partnership, prayer, leadership, and relationship.
For Trinity, this was an important missions story because it was not only about supporting a program. It was about helping nurture a congregation that could worship, serve, and reach people in a particular language and cultural community.
The transition from mission to church marked a meaningful moment. What began in homes and continued through partnership became a congregation with its own identity and mission.
Raleigh Arabic Baptist Church stands as part of Trinity’s broader history of ministry beyond the walls: a reminder that faithful partnership can help make room for new communities of worship and witness.
Read More in 70 Years at Trinity
This story was drawn from 70 Years at Trinity: February 5, 1956 – May 3, 2026, prepared in celebration of the seventieth anniversary of Trinity Baptist Church.
For more about the Trinity Arabic Mission becoming Raleigh Arabic Baptist Church, see pages 104–105 and the related appendix material in the anniversary book.
