- Egypt legalised 2,815 churches in the five years after its first approval in May 2018
- The 2016 Church Building Law set up a committee to review unlicensed churches
- The committee includes housing, local development, defence and antiquities officials and the three main churches
- The state is to fund churches in new cities alongside mosques and schools
Egypt has legalised 2,815 churches over five years under its 2016 church building law, EgyptToday reported on December 21, 2023.
The first church was legalised in May 2018. The law gave a one-year deadline for submitting lists of churches and buildings seeking legal status. The legalisation committee meets about every two and a half months and includes representatives from housing, local development, defence and antiquities, as well as the Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical churches.
“A total of 2,815 churches have been legalized over the past five years,” said Pastor Michael Anton, the committee’s deputy head. Pope Tawadros II said: “The conditions of the Copts in Egypt are currently much better thanks to the Church Building Law.” The report said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had directed the state to fund church construction in new cities alongside mosques, schools and nurseries.
For thousands of congregations, legalisation turned buildings used for years without permits into recognised properties.
Jamaica has no equivalent church licensing process, but many church buildings still lack planning approval or registered title. Egypt’s programme shows the value of a clear path to regularising existing buildings. Jamaican churches with unapproved extensions or informal titles should work with local authorities and the National Land Agency to bring their property into order, protecting it for the future.
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