Iraq Appeal - May 2021 Update
A new congregation gathers in Erbil
The birth of a new church in Iraq (with some help from fellow Presbyterians in Egypt!)
Iraq is a very dear country with a rich history. For many years, the Iraqi people suffered from a series of wars that affected their country in all aspects. The Christians in Iraq suffered a lot in the last few decades. Many families were dislocated, migrated, or immigrated to other parts of the world. ISIS and different radical groups caused a great deal of damage to churches, houses, and other properties. This led to a devastating situation for families who had to leave their homes and move to other areas.
Rev. Samer and his family
The Presbyterian Church in Iraq is one of the oldest churches in the Middle East. History tells us that the Presbyterian Church in Mosul was established in 1840 as the oldest Presbyterian Church in the Arab World. There are three Presbyterian churches in Iraq now. They are in Basra, Baghdad, and Kirkuk. In recent years, God opened doors for the Egyptian church to send pastors as missionaries to the churches in Basra and Kirkuk. Rev. Haitham Jazrawi, the Kirkuk pastor, encouraged a young Egyptian pastor, Rev. Samer Karam, to serve with him in Kirkuk during the last year - a very difficult and challenging time. The church in Kirkuk has a vision to plant new churches.
This year, they took a big step toward this vision by planting a new church in Erbil. Erbil is a big city in northeastern Iraq that has many Presbyterian families who left other parts of Iraq and now live there without a church. On April 24th, 2021, the first worship meeting started with about 50 attendees and their children. They met in the hall of a Christian organization. It was a time of worship, reunion, prayers, and fellowship. The new church will minister not only to the Presbyterian families but many other people from different backgrounds. The main goal is to spread the good news of the Gospel in this area of Iraq where many people need the message of hope.
This is the beginning of a movement to plant other churches in Iraq. There is a dream to reconstruct the church in Mosul and to plant a new church in Duhok. This is a season for the church in Iraq not only to survive but to expand its ministry. Please pray for Rev. Haitham and Rev. Samer and for the new church in Erbil to be salt and light in Iraq.
Grace and peace,
Dr. Tharwat Wahba
Egypt Mission Consultant for The Outreach Foundation
Professor of Mission, Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo
Read more about the Iraq Appeal HERE.
Gifts for the Iraq Appeal, which supports the mission and ministry of the three Presbyterian churches in Iraq along with relief efforts for Iraqis displaced by war, may be made HERE or by sending a check to our office.
In late 2019, an Outreach team met with Iraqi church leaders in Erbil including (left to right) Kirkuk elder Samir, Basra elder Zuhair, Rev. Karam, and Outreach board chair Rev. Jack Baca