Egypt approves 191 churches and affiliated buildings across country

CAIRO, Egypt (MNTV) — Egypt has approved the legal status of 191 churches and church-affiliated buildings, marking another step in a years-long government initiative aimed at resolving the status of religious properties operating without formal authorization.

The decision was announced following a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and increases the total number of churches and related facilities granted legal recognition to 3,804 since the process began in 2016.

Christian leaders welcomed the latest approvals, describing them as a positive development for churches across the country. 

According to Christian Daily, the Rev. Khalaf Barakat, president of the General Evangelical Baptist Assembly in Egypt, said the measures have benefited Baptist congregations and other Christian denominations, although some applications are still awaiting completion under government procedures.

Egypt established a special committee in 2016 to examine and legalize churches and religious buildings that had been constructed over previous decades without official permits. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to regulate religious infrastructure and simplify approval processes for Christian places of worship.

Separately, Egyptian lawmakers are reviewing a proposed personal status law for Christians that would create a unified legal framework governing family matters for the country’s major Christian denominations. The draft legislation was submitted to parliament alongside a separate personal status bill for Muslims.

The proposed Christian law would apply to communities including the Coptic Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, Syriac Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Orthodox churches. It addresses issues such as marriage, engagement, divorce, annulment, child custody, guardianship, inheritance and the legal status of missing persons.

According to local reports, the legislation would formally recognize engagement contracts, require church announcements before marriages and permit couples to include specific conditions in marriage agreements. The proposal also outlines procedures for divorce, dissolution of marriage and annulment.

The draft law is also expected to introduce equal inheritance rights for men and women within Christian communities. Under current practices, inheritance disputes often fall under Islamic legal provisions, which generally allocate a larger share to male heirs.

Additional provisions would expand visitation rights for noncustodial parents, including overnight stays for children and the use of electronic communication to maintain contact between parents and children.

Egypt’s Church Construction Law, enacted in 2016, transferred authority for approving the construction and renovation of churches to provincial governors, replacing a system that relied heavily on security agencies for authorization.