Jerusalem
and the Middle East
Church Association

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In May 2006, following the generous gift of land by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, representatives from Christian Churches in Qatar signed an agreement with the government for a fifty year lease on a large area of land on the outskirts of Doha. Six churches were to be erected, at their own expense.

Marie Norton up-dates us on progress:

So the story of the building of the Church of the Epiphany in Qatar began, under the able leadership of Archdeacon Ian Young, and continued since Autumn 2007 by Archdeacon Bill Schwartz and his wife Edie.

The groundbreaking ceremony in May 2008 led by Bishop Michael Lewis was a moving occasion, the singing of “The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord” was a firm reminder that this is to be to the Glory of God. A few months later the work began.

During construction we are thankful to God for the provision of three temporary buildings on one side of the site, at present we can accommodate 22 congregations for worship. When the permanent building is complete we will serve the 50 congregations who have come forward with requests for space. Hosting so many groups is a blessing but hard work for those who organize it, but the rental generated is helping in some small way with much needed funds.

The total area of “Church City” is shared by the Egyptian Coptic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church and a group of 28 Indian Christian Churches as well as the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. We are in negotiation with some of the Churches sharing boundary walls and a positive attitude prevails. Parking may become a real issue in the future when all of these Churches are completed, especially at the great festivals of Christmas and Easter.

We are thankful to God for good relationships amongst the whole breadth and scope of Christian traditions here in Qatar.

We are building as quickly as funding allows and in the fairly near future we will face a stage when funding will become quite critical. Please pray for our fundraising Committee, they have a difficult task, especially in the current financial downturn. We praise God for all that is happening here in Qatar and we are thankful for the prayers and support from friends all over the world.

We give thanks for the witness that this project gives and we are thankful to God for the co-operation and practical assistance enjoyed with the various Government departments here in Qatar.

Please join with us in praying for increased opportunity for dialogue in everyday relationships. We give praise to God for the openness that was evident here in Qatar when they hosted the 7th Doha Muslim/Christian dialogue Conference in October.
See www.epiphany-qatar.org

Archdeacon Bill Schwartz adds:

“It would be remiss to speak only of the building project. The congregation continues to grow. Friday mornings always have more than 200 people, and the mix of nationalities and languages, and the way our congregation transcends the economic stratification in Doha is a special joy to us all. It is also a joy to see almost 25% of the Friday congregation as participants in our Friday school. We are averaging about a wedding per week, and some of the couples are attracted to the church community through the marriage ministry. Bishop Michael confirmed four young people and two adults, and baptized one, when he was with us. We are also pleased to welcome an additional nonstipendiary priest into our midst; the participation of three non-stipendiary clergy ensures that services in the different locations are covered no matter which of us might be travelling at any given time.

As I often say, our biggest problem is the vast opportunity for ministry that we find here in Qatar. We move forward with the grace of God and the empowerment of his people.”

Editor’s note: The Chairman comments in his Editorial that the largest single donation by this Association in 2009 was £30,000 to the Qatar Building Fund.