St George’s Church, Baghdad is one of the few functioning churches left in Iraq. Located on Haifa Street, it is only a few miles away from the Green Zone yet it sits on one of the most dangerous streets in Baghdad. The area is the site of regular gun battles between US troops and insurgents yet the people who attend St. George’s Church continue to come to worship and participate in local community life.

The church does function as a place of worship but it is also increasingly becoming a center of community activity and service. For many of the widowed and orphaned, St. George’s Church is the sole place of support and hope in dysfunctional social system torn apart by violence and corruption. A few of the basic ongoing services include:

•    Weekly food distribution to families in need
•    Medical aid and health services
•    Shelter for families forced out of homes by threats or violence
•    Financial support of basic living costs for widows and orphans
•    Child protection bus service to Sunday school
•    Twenty-four hour armed security at church

Current Projects
St. George’s Church is currently involved in several projects to better their local community.

•    Medical Clinic: Through the leadership of Canon Andrew White, a former anaesthesiologist and current vicar of the church, St.George’s is putting together a small medical clinic to help Christians as well as the local Muslims and other religious minorities in the area by providing medical basics for urgent care.

•    Food Distribution: The most basic and vital need is simply food. St. George’s distributes food once a week to needy families. As one the few churches able to provide this service, the congregation is rapidly expanding and new families are joining the church everyday. This service remains crucial to daily life.

How to Help
Due to high inflation and the ongoing violence and the damage done to the local economy, the only way the church can continue offering these life-saving services is from the help of other churches in the West. Contact us today to see how you can help make a difference in the Middle East right now.

CCRR
PO Box 470902        +1 704 975 2314
Charlotte, NC 28247    office@centerforconflictrelief.org