Cross to Crescent: The Quiet Islamic Conquest of American Churches and Christians

Recent trends in religious property transactions reveal a concerning shift in America’s religious landscape. A striking example is the sale of the Calvary Temple of Praise Inc. building in Sanford, Florida, to Masjid Al Hayy. This transaction highlights a broader trend: while Christian churches are experiencing a decline, Islamic mosques are witnessing significant growth. This trend points to a deeper and more troubling phenomenon: the slow but steady erosion of the Christian community and the encroaching influence of the Islamic community.

The Decline of Churches

Calvary Temple of Praise, like many other churches across the country, found itself in a position where it needed to downsize due to financial difficulties and a shrinking congregation. The large building, once bustling with worshippers, became a burden too heavy to bear. This is not an isolated incident. According to a 2019 Pew Research Center report, the percentage of Americans identifying as Christian dropped from 77% in 2009 to 65% in 2019. This decline in membership has forced many churches to close or sell their properties.

Financial constraints are a significant factor. Many churches struggle to maintain large properties as donations dwindle and operating costs rise. In a 2020 survey conducted by Lifeway Research, approximately 3,700 churches in the U.S. closed in 2019 alone. This trend is a strong indicator of the broader challenges facing Christian congregations in maintaining their places of worship.

The Rise of Mosques

In contrast, the Islamic community in America is experiencing significant growth. Masjid Al Hayy’s acquisition of the 43,000-square-foot former church building is emblematic of this trend. The mosque, which now serves a growing Muslim population in Central Florida, represents the expanding footprint of Islamic centers in the United States.

This sale is part of a broader trend of churches being converted into mosques across the United States. Here are some notable examples:

• Bridgeport, Connecticut: The United Congregational Church was sold to the Bridgeport Islamic Community Center. The historic building was chosen for its religious zoning and space to accommodate the 1,000 Muslim families in the area​.
• Bristol Township, Pennsylvania: The Immaculate Conception B.V.M. Catholic Church was sold to the United American Muslim Society of Brooklyn for nearly $1.8 million. Due to its growing congregation, the new mosque, Mevlana Camii, required a larger space.
• Syracuse, New York: The Catholic Holy Trinity Church was transformed into a mosque, and significant renovations were made to replace Christian symbols with Islamic ones​​.
• South Milwaukee, Wisconsin: A former Catholic church and school was sold to a Muslim group, which planned to reopen the building as a mosque​ .
• Buffalo, New York: Another church was turned into a mosque, reflecting the need for larger worship spaces for growing Muslim communities​
• Southfield, Michigan: A closed church was purchased and converted into the Islamic Center of America, now one of the largest mosques in North America​.
• Houston, Texas: The Houston Islamic Community Center acquired a church property to serve its growing membership, transforming the space to meet their religious needs​
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The historic Germantown Presbyterian Church became the Masjid Muhammad.
• Concord, California: The Concord Avenue United Methodist Church was sold to a local Muslim community and transformed into the Quba Academy and Masjid.
• Jacksonville, Florida: The former Greater Macedonia Baptist Church was acquired by the Islamic Center of North East Florida to serve the growing Muslim population.
• Tempe, Arizona: The Holy Spirit Catholic Church was purchased by the Islamic Community Center of Tempe.
• Dayton, Ohio: A closed Baptist church was transformed into the Masjid At-Tawheed

A study by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) found that the number of mosques in the U.S. grew by 31% from 2010 to 2020, reaching a total of 2,769. This growth is fueled by immigration, higher birth rates among Muslim families, and increasing conversions to Islam.

The Difficulty in Finding Information

Uncovering these sales and conversions can be challenging as they are often kept quiet by both the church and the Islamic community. The church may not want to draw attention to the sale due to potential backlash or the stigma of decline, while the Islamic community prefers, during the purchase, to avoid drawing attention for fear that the local Christian community will protest the sale. However, after the sale is secure, they often claim victory and boast of their growing influence and power. This initial secrecy during the sale allows them to quietly expand their presence and influence in non-Muslim lands. Many of these mosques are funded by wealthy Muslims or Islamic countries, who do everything they can to hide where the funds come from, emphasizing the significant financial backing behind this expansion.

Foreign Influence and Funding

The growth of mosques, however, does raise questions about the sources of funding. Large, modern facilities like Masjid Al Hayy require substantial financial investments. Investigations have shown that the majority of American mosques receive significant funding from foreign entities. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar have been known to fund the construction and operation of mosques abroad, raising concerns about potential foreign influence on American soil.

For instance, the Diyanet Center of America in Lanham, Maryland, was funded by the Turkish government and cost an estimated $110 million to build. Such investments are powerful indicators of the significant financial backing behind many of these projects, contrasting sharply with the financial struggles faced by many American churches.

Theological and Cultural Implications

The theological implications are profound. In Islamic history, the transformation of non-Muslim places of worship into mosques is rooted in the actions of Muhammad, who converted the Ka’ba into a mosque. The Ka’ba, originally a shrine of the Meccan people, was transformed by Muhammad into the holiest site in Islam after his conquest of Mecca. This act is seen as a demonstration of Islam’s superiority and a fulfillment of a religious duty. The conversion of churches into mosques is a clear declaration of Islam’s dominance and the decline of Christianity. It signifies the replacement of one religion with another and is seen as proof of Islam’s expansion and increasing takeover.

The Role of Da’awa and Islamic Expansion

A very important part of a mosque’s purpose is to activate Islam’s Da’awa, or world mission of proselytization. Building mosques is seen as enticing non-Muslims and converting as many as possible to Islam. This goal is driven by the belief that Islam is destined to rule the world. Throughout history, Islamic expansion has often involved the conversion of non-Muslim places of worship into mosques, symbolizing Islam’s dominance and growth.

For Muslims, this is more than the signing of a deed passing from one group to another. They believe they are destined to rule the world, and all people will come to be Muslims, as they believe that all people are born Muslims, and their parents or culture convert them to whatever else they are.

These beliefs are distinctly and explicitly scriptural and doctrinal in Islam and receive its authority from religious precedents and commands in the life of Muhammad. The role of Da’awa and Islamic expansion is not just about spreading the faith through peaceful means and it seldom is done peacefully. Historically, Islamic conquests have offered non-Muslims three choices: convert to Islam, pay the jizya (a tax for non-Muslims), or face death. This aggressive expansionist ideology is embedded in the establishment of mosques in non-Muslim lands, aiming to assert dominance and gradually Islamize society. Muslims also believe that the only way for a man to enter paradise with certainty is to die while fighting a war of Islamic conquest. (Jihad)

The Implications

The contrasting fortunes of Christian churches and Islamic mosques in the U.S. reflect broader societal shifts. As traditional Christian congregations shrink, Islamic centers are expanding, both in size and number. This trend has significant cultural and societal implications, suggesting a gradual shift in the nation’s religious fabric.

Moreover, the influence of foreign funding on mosque growth raises important questions about national sovereignty and security. While religious freedom is a cornerstone of American values, substantial foreign investments in Islamic centers necessitate transparency and scrutiny.

For Muslims, building a mosque is not just a matter of finding a place of worship; it is a theological statement of Islam’s hegemony. Mosques are Beachheads, staging points for wars of Islamic conquest. The conversion of churches into mosques is seen as a sign of Islam’s victorious advance and success, symbolizing its superiority over other religions. This is particularly evident when a church, a symbol of Christianity, is transformed into a mosque.

Christian Heritage

The sale of the Calvary Temple of Praise to Masjid Al Hayy is more than just a real estate transaction; it symbolizes the broader decline of Christian churches and the rapid growth of mosques in America. This trend highlights the severe challenges faced by Christian congregations and the alarming implications of increasing foreign influence in American religious institutions. The slow but deliberate transformation of America’s religious landscape is a call to action for those who cherish the nation’s Christian heritage and seek to preserve it against an encroaching and dangerous ideology.