Great Openness for the Gospel in Iraq
Great Openness for the Gospel in Iraq
Baghdad – Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, has more than 3.000 Evangelical Christians worshiping in 12 congregations. Though this country is wreaked by unrest and terrorist attacks, the most recent letter from the European Baptist Federation- (EBF) sponsored IMP- (Indigenous Missionary Project) programme for the planting of local churches reports that people are open to the Gospel. Although Christians and their congregations have been the targets of terrorist attacks, they are experiencing many baptisms. Baghdad’s 2004-founded First Baptist Church is visited by 500 persons every week. Approximately 200 attend the worship services; the remainder avail themselves of spiritual teaching. Bible courses are of the greatest appeal. The congregation has begun an extensive programme of social aid to support needy families, for ex. through food packages. The Baptist congregation also opened a kindergarten in early October now attended by 20 children. Once all preparations are in place, it should consist of 80 children in four groups.
An indigenous Baptist missionary involved in the planting of a congregation in the north of the country is quoted in the last IMP-letter. He writes: “Our meetings are doing well. We meet every week in three villages in house groups. We already have six Baptist house churches in this region.” Following an evangelistic campaign, nine persons were baptised. Another church planter active in Baghdad expressed sorrow over the fact that, despite major efforts, the church in general is not growing. Yet the reason for this is the on-going emigration to the West. Recently, 12 new Christians were baptised publically in the river Tigris. Another baptism is planned before the end of the year. The report also states that 37 members of Baghdad’s Baptist congregation are presently preparing themselves to work as full-time church planters and missionaries. A number of them plan to support the house churches in the north of the country.
The IMP-programme, initiated in 2002, is presently supporting 65 newly-founded churches – mostly in Eastern Europe. These church plants receive funding for five years, the amount of which is regularly reduced. IMP-Coordinator Daniel Trusiewicz (Wroclaw) reports that 20 congregations are no longer receiving any support, even though none of them are yet capable of standing on their own feet financially. Their pastors and lay members are therefore working at least in part in secular occupations.
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An indigenous Baptist missionary involved in the planting of a congregation in the north of the country is quoted in the last IMP-letter. He writes: “Our meetings are doing well. We meet every week in three villages in house groups. We already have six Baptist house churches in this region.” Following an evangelistic campaign, nine persons were baptised. Another church planter active in Baghdad expressed sorrow over the fact that, despite major efforts, the church in general is not growing. Yet the reason for this is the on-going emigration to the West. Recently, 12 new Christians were baptised publically in the river Tigris. Another baptism is planned before the end of the year. The report also states that 37 members of Baghdad’s Baptist congregation are presently preparing themselves to work as full-time church planters and missionaries. A number of them plan to support the house churches in the north of the country.
The IMP-programme, initiated in 2002, is presently supporting 65 newly-founded churches – mostly in Eastern Europe. These church plants receive funding for five years, the amount of which is regularly reduced. IMP-Coordinator Daniel Trusiewicz (Wroclaw) reports that 20 congregations are no longer receiving any support, even though none of them are yet capable of standing on their own feet financially. Their pastors and lay members are therefore working at least in part in secular occupations.