Iraq Partnership - June 2022 Update
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…
Philippians 1:6
Mosul. The name does not immediately conjure up frightening images for me as it does for most. Yes, I am well aware of its recent history: of its gradual takeover by fundamentalists when the U.S.-led war in 2003 destabilized Iraq, of the subsequent terror wrought by ISIS upon Christians and moderate Muslims who had called it “home” and of the “battle for Mosul” which defeated ISIS there but decimated a large part of the historic Old City.
When I hear “Mosul,” I think of the Church in that place, specifically the Presbyterian Church there which I first visited in 1998 (my first of 15 visits to Iraq). Where I was led on foot through a winding “rabbit warren” of streets — too narrow for cars — to stand in front of an ornate, carved doorway in a wall with my eye drawn upwards to see in a tear-shaped rondel the words, in English, “The Protestant Church.”
In October 2019, an Outreach Foundation team journeyed back to Mosul with our Iraqi partners, cautiously and carefully led by Rev. Haitham Jazrawi of Kirkuk. We drove down the rubble-filled streets and past the pancaked buildings, where an occasional sign of life was seen in a few small shops that had reopened. We found the destruction inside the church compound to be extensive but not complete. And we began a discernment process with our Iraqi Presbyterian family: should the Mosul Church be rebuilt? God’s answer came through loud and clear: YES!
Thanks be to God, a different scene awaited us upon our return to that church on May 13, 2022, to worship in the now-restored sanctuary of the Presbyterian Church in Mosul. The Outreach Foundation is honored to have facilitated, with the partnership of generous donors, the physical renovation of the church, but it could only have happened because our Iraqi family there persevered, confident that their work and witness must continue in Mosul because of God’s sure promise in I Kings 9:3, written over the communion table: “I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”
Erbil. As if the rededication of the Mosul Presbyterian Church was not enough blessing for one visit, God multiplied our joy by bringing us to worship with the Presbyterian Church in Erbil. This new fellowship group meets in a temporary space and is pastored by Rev. Samer Karam from Egypt. The space was packed with families and young people, and this was not even their regular meeting day. They had this special gathering just for us! The Holy Spirit is clearly “on the fast track” in growing this new congregation. Let me know if you or your church want to “get in on the ground floor” in helping them to get their own space in which to build this corner of Christ’s Kingdom!
Baghdad. And just a few weeks after returning to the States, some wonderful news came to us from Iraq’s capital city: three new elders were ordained in the Presbyterian Church in Baghdad by Rev. Farouk Hammo and Baghdad elder Yousif Al Saka. They were joined in this sacred and joyful service by elders and pastors from Erbil and Basra. May God bless these new servant-leaders and fill them with His wisdom and Spirit.
As all these signs of hope and renewal confirm, He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion…
With thanksgiving,
Marilyn Borst, Associate Director for Partnership Development
Read more about the Iraq Partnership HERE.
THE OPPORTUNITY
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 HERE or by sending a check to our office.