Iraq Partnership Update
The video is just black, but a joyful voice says, “Can you hear me?”
It’s Samer Karam, the pastor at the Erbil Church in Iraq. Due to the regional hostilities, there is only enough gas to have electricity for around 10 hours each day. At 9 p.m. in Iraq, daylight doesn’t help, so for now just talking will have to do.
Samer Karam, a pastor from the Synod of the Nile in Egypt, went to Iraq in 2019. He first spent 18 months in Kirkuk before heading to Erbil in February 2021 to plant a church. At the time, there was no other Presbyterian church in the region. So, the church in Erbil was an answer to prayer for many people, including Christians from places like Mosul, Kirkuk, and Basrah who had been displaced and now called Erbil home.
The first meeting of the Erbil Church was in April 2021, and the church quickly began to grow. For a time, they shared a space, but as the church grew and there were more meetings during the week, it was time for the church to have their own building. That prayer was answered in September 2024 when the Erbil church moved into their new building.
Today, almost two years later, the Erbil Church has faced challenges. In February, because of escalating regional conflict, Samer returned to Egypt for a time. He returned to Iraq this summer, but the fighting soon resumed. Erbil is a target because of a camp for Iranian refugees, as well as being home to the largest U.S. consulate in the Middle East. Samer’s wife and children returned to Egypt, while Samer stayed to continue his ministry. The blackouts and lack of gas make for their own challenges, and as war threatens again, many feel a sense of uncertainty and weigh the decision to leave Erbil, and even Iraq, entirely.
Even still, the church in Erbil continues. As one of the elders reflects, “Praise the Lord, in spite of all the danger and loss of security, everything is going well in all our church meetings and activities.”
In addition to their regular Sunday meetings, which gather around 60 people each week, they’ve added Friday Sunday School, Tuesday prayer, and Bible study. Something is happening at the church just about every day of the week!
And if the regular activities of the church didn’t keep Samer and his team busy enough, the Erbil church is also hosting a theological school. In partnership with Arabic Reformed Theological Seminary, the school offers a chance to train and equip Iraqi pastors.
The school began in September 2025 with 35 students from all over Iraq. Together, they’ll complete one course per month over four years. The result? There will be new local leaders and pastors with a solid theological education ready to serve Iraq in their own communities. The results might not be realized for several years, but the vision to rebuild the Presbyterian church in cities throughout Iraq with trained Iraqi pastors is worth getting excited about!
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Presbyterian church in Iraq is growing! Today our Presbyterian family in Iraq is represented by faithful congregations in Kirkuk, Baghdad, Basrah, Mosul, Erbil, and most recently a new church in Dohuk. These congregations provide not only a spiritual home for their communities but also provide emergency relief and other community services like schools. Amid difficult circumstances, these churches serve with love and integrity in witness to the Good News.
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts to support the mission and ministry of the Iraq Partnership. All gifts of any size are welcomed to assist the Presbyterian churches of Iraq in their ministries, which are not sustainable by the small congregations alone.
You may make a gift by sending a check to the address below with the partner name Iraq Partnership on the memo line, or you can donate on our website: www.theoutreachfoundation.org.
