Looking back, how it began:
In 2015, The Heart for Muslims Conference began as a collaboration of ministries and mission agencies across New York City — each dedicated to reaching our Muslim neighbors with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our coalition was cofounded by Chris Clayman and Pastor Alfonse Javed. Their shared mission was birthed out of a desire to join the Lord in the budding disciple-making movement among Muslims in our city and to biblically respond to the growing Muslim communities in our area and across the country. In the New York City metropolitan area alone, an estimated 1.5 million Muslims call this community home.†
A keynote speaker from the first HFM Conference, David Garrison is the author of A Wind In The House Of Islam: How God Is Drawing Muslims Around The World To Faith In Jesus Christ. Based on his research, he concluded that “we are living in the midst of the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history”. At the HFM Conference, some past speakers include:
- Chris Clayman
- David Garrison
- Kate McCord, Author
- Nik Ripken, Nik Ripken Ministries
- A missionary from Elam Ministries
- Missionaries from EMM
- Missionaries from Global Gates
- Missionaries from SIM USA
The Lord is moving among Muslims!
The seeds of the Gospel are taking root among Muslims in New York City and abroad. In 2023, the team at CTU continues to be fruitful, regularly sharing about Bengalis coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ both in NYC and in Bangladesh. In 2020, while Covid19 caused New York to flounder, over 200 South East Asian, former Muslims were baptized through the ministry of one local missionary. That group continues with believers in New York, the UK and Bangladesh.
HFM ministry and growth:
Heart For Muslims’ mission is to equip Christ-followers and connect them for service, ministering to our Muslim neighbors in the Name and Love of Jesus Christ. The vision is to eliminate the fear of Islam and free believers to boldly minister to our Muslim neighbors.
Since the first conference in 2015, ministry leaders and missionaries come, they learn from one another and help believers develop an effective witness. Each conference focuses on a different aspect of ministry, such as: ministering to women and families, evangelism in everyday encounters or service.
Through the conference and other gatherings throughout the year, the ministry engages hundreds of believers to gather and learn how to engage their Muslim neighbors with the Gospel.
We curate a list of resources for Christ-followers to assist them in their personal ministry.
Since Nov 2021, the Our Urban Voices Podcast continues to share a wide variety of diverse voices that can add to discussions on Christian ministry, missions, theology, and culture. It emphasizes these topics from the viewpoints of urban and Muslim ministries.
Since 2023, HFM expanded to serve as a resource to practitioners with a job board and an events calendar that’s open to partner ministries. In November of 2024, Heart for Muslims was incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit with an appointed Board. We mark our 10th year of Christian missions influence with our conference at W83 Ministry Center in New York.
