Help Daniel Bring Biblical Scholarship Back to Egypt

My name is Daniel Ibrahim, and because of God, I have been admitted into the Master of Divinity program at Duke Divinity School for Fall 2025. This is not just an academic achievement — it's the next chapter in a calling that has grown in my heart over many years, through both hardship and hope.

I come from Cairo, Egypt, where I was raised in a small Presbyterian church, a minority within the Coptic Christian minority, in a country where Christians are a minority in a Muslim-majority culture. This layered identity has shaped the way I view faith, struggle, and resilience.

I didn’t always know I would end up here. I first studied engineering — a path encouraged by my family and culture — and though I did well academically, my heart longed for something deeper. After a series of life-altering experiences in my freshman year of college, I began to lean on the God I had heard about all my life but never truly sought. In that season of soul-searching, I found not just comfort, but calling.

I started diving into Scripture, studying biblical languages, and reading theological works late into the night. I took courses wherever I could — from Cairo’s Evangelical Theological Seminary to online lectures from Yale and Harvard — soaking in every word, every insight. I even began writing guides on the letters of Paul, teaching others, and dreaming of something that once felt impossible in Egypt: a life dedicated to biblical scholarship.

Now, after years of preparation, that dream is taking shape — but I can’t do it without you.

Why I Need Your Help

I’ve been accepted to Duke Divinity School — a place that can give me the tools, mentorship, and community I need to truly grow as a scholar and minister. They’ve recognized my potential and offered me a 33% tuition scholarship. But that leaves a significant financial gap, especially considering the cost of tuition, housing, living expenses, books, and my travel from Egypt.

I come from a part of the world where theological education is often limited to basic pastoral training. I want to return after my studies and help reshape Christian education in Egypt — to bring in critical thinking, historical depth, and a love for Scripture that isn’t afraid to ask hard questions. I want to train future leaders who will love the Word and know how to handle it wisely.

But first, I need your help to get there.

Your Support Will Help Cover:

Tuition not covered by my scholarship

Housing and daily living expenses in the U.S.

Travel and visa expenses

Textbooks, academic resources, and healthcare

Even the smallest gift can make a real difference. And if you can’t give financially, please pray for me. Share this page. Encourage others to read my story. That means more to me than I can say.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just about my education. It’s about giving a new generation in Egypt access to rich, faithful, and thoughtful biblical scholarship. It’s about reminding the Church in the Middle East that our minds and our hearts can work together in pursuit of truth. It’s about believing that God can use anyone — even a young Egyptian with a worn-out Greek textbook and a head full of questions — to do something new.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to read this. If you feel led to give, know that I will carry your kindness with me every step of the way.

With gratitude, hope, and faith,

Daniel I. Ibrahim