Dubai: An Oasis in the Desert
Dubai is not a new destination for Lisa and me. We passed through briefly during our first trip to Nepal in 2018, taking the metro during a long layover to catch a glimpse of the city before continuing on to Kathmandu. But to say we had truly been to Dubai would be generous.
One of seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai stands apart as a marvel of modern ambition. While Abu Dhabi is the capital and largest emirate, Dubai boasts the world’s tallest building—the Burj Khalifa—and a skyline dotted with sleek, futuristic towers. The city, once a quiet desert outpost, has become a hub for tourism, commerce, and migration. Much of its population holds passports from other countries, coming here to work and support families back home. Dubai may be a man-made oasis, but on this trip, we came to see another kind of oasis—one formed by God.
In my new role as Missions Pastor at Central Church, I now have the privilege of connecting regularly with our global partners. One of those partners is Brian Parks, pastor of Covenant Hope Church (CHC) in Dubai, alongside his wife Joanne. Both are Memphis natives, and Joanne came to faith through the ministries of Central. Her mother, Nancy, once worked at the church. The Parks family moved to Dubai 20 years ago, when the city was little more than a small trading post along the Arabian Gulf.
We timed our arrival so we could join Covenant Hope for Sunday worship. CHC is a vibrant, multiethnic congregation representing believers from across the globe. That Sunday, we sang hymns of praise, prayed together—led by a young Christian woman and an elder—and heard Pastor Brian preach from 1 Corinthians 15:35–58 on the believer’s victory over death in Christ. A memorable moment came when a young Indian believer read from Isaiah 25 while his Muslim wife, seated beside him, supported him. CHC is a place where God is at work, drawing people from Hindu, Muslim, and other backgrounds to Himself.
CHC meets on Sunday afternoons in a shared chapel used by various congregations, including Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, and others. These groups are registered with the government and allowed to meet publicly. After the service, we fellowshipped over Indian tea, met members of the church, and stayed for a prayer meeting. I shared briefly about Central and our support for CHC. We prayed for the church’s needs, and one of the interns, Joshua from Pakistan, prayed warmly for our church. An Indian church member offered a thoughtful devotion from Isaiah 25:8, which deeply encouraged Pastor Brian.
Pastor Brian is not laboring alone. He is joined by his son-in-law, Mark, the church’s associate pastor, married to Brian and Joanne’s daughter Hannah, who grew up in Dubai. We were deeply encouraged by CHC’s intentional shepherding culture. Members are trained to lead, teach, pray, and read Scripture, actively participating in the life of the church.
We also spent time with three CHC interns whom Central helped support this summer—Joshua and Caleb from Pakistan, and Ambrose from Senegal. We took them to lunch at The Arabian Tea House and were joined by a visiting pastor from South Africa. The fellowship was rich and encouraging.
Lisa and I also sat in with the pastors and interns as they evaluated Sunday’s service and prayer meeting. We felt honored to be included and were moved by stories of God’s grace among the members of CHC.
Though I claim no talent in videography, I was determined to capture brief interviews with the interns to bring back to Central as testimonies of God’s work. While I doubt I have a future in film, Sean Stark turned my raw footage into something meaningful. We hope to continue supporting CHC’s internship program in the future.
I’ll share more about the internship in the next journal entry—including the one touristy thing we did in Dubai. I’ll leave you in suspense for now.
