Just over a year ago, the Church of the Epiphany, Manhattan enjoyed a visit from the Rt. Rev. Clive Handford, the Anglican Bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf. During his visit, he told us about the Anglican Church in Qatar, and he said that the Emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khailfa al-Thani, has given permission for the building of a new church and community center in the capital city, Doha. The name of the new church is to be “The Church of the Epiphany,” and Epiphany, Manhattan, hopes to strengthen a relationship with this Middle Eastern church. This is to be the first church building to be built in Qatar since the seventh century, when there were believed to have been monasteries in the area.

I was very curious to visit and meet the people of the Church of the Epiphany in Qatar, and asked if it would be convenient for me to visit on my return from my second trip to Afghanistan in March. The chaplain of this congregation in Doha, Archdeacon Ian Young, graciously invited me to visit with him and his congregation from March 18 to March 22, and I went as a representative of the Ecumenical Commission of the Diocese of New York.

Qatar is a small peninsula which borders Saudi Arabia and which reaches north into the Gulf. This tiny country (11,437 square km) has grown tremendously in the past 50 years. In 1949, there were approximately 25,000 people living in Qatar, and the most important industry was pearl diving. The discovery of oil and natural gas has changed the country dramatically since then. At present, there are approximately 640,000 people living in Qatar, but only about 20% of them are native Qataris. The rest are expatriates from all over the world, and they are working in the petroleum industry and related fields, as well as in education, health care, and other areas of development.

The capital, Doha, is in many ways a very modern and comfortable city. There are neat houses surrounded by walls, many with gardens. There are modern shopping centers, museums and art exhibits, theatres and movie houses, restaurants and other conveniences. There are new buildings going up in every area. There is much wealth, but there are also people who are very poor. One day, we delivered food donations from the church to a group of Indians who had come to Qatar with a promise of work but had not been able to find any. They were living in shacks, and were very grateful for the gifts we brought.

The church services are held on Friday, the Muslim holy day, as well as on Sunday evenings. Since there is no church building at present, the services are held in a school gymnasium. Amid basketball hoops and gymnastics bars, the altar was set up, and a credence table and folding chairs were made ready. About 150 people attended on the Friday when I was there, and about 100 on Sunday evening. On Sunday afternoon, we also went to a town called Al Khor, “the port,” to the north of Doha, to conduct a smaller service.

I don’t think I have ever seen such a diverse congregation. The members of this church come from every part of the world and represent all economic levels. And it is a truly warm, welcoming, and spirit-filled community. When Archbishop Rowan Williams visited this congregation, he asked one man why he comes to this church. The answer was, “Because we are all equal here.”

I met a Ghanaian who said that he knew the brothers of the Order of the Holy Cross when he was growing up in Ghana. I met the ambassadors from India and Britain. We had lunch with a family from India. We had dinner at the home of a doctor from Sri Lanka. We attended a 25th wedding anniversary of a couple from Malaysia. I spent a morning visiting the U.S. military base with an American woman whose husband works there. I spent another morning with a Japanese woman who is married to a Qatari. We visited the home of a Qatari friend of hers, and also went to see a crafts workshop for Qatari women. On another morning I was taken to a fund raising event which had been organized by Palestinian women to benefit blind children. I even met an American librarian who knows many people I know from my days working in medical libraries. Archdeacon Young and I also visited a private school where he has taught music, and we spent a few minutes in one of the classrooms talking with the children.

The Church of the Epiphany is a welcoming spiritual home in Qatar for Christians from all over the world. Much of this warm hospitality is the work of Archdeacon Young, who has been the chaplain and leader of this congregation for 18 years. He seems to know everyone. When we went to a local hotel so that I could use the Internet, he not only knew the manager but also knew the men at the front door. He greeted them by name, and asked after their families.

When so many areas of the world are torn by religious strife, it was wonderful to take part in inclusive Christian worship, in a Muslim country, and to know that we were welcome to be there.

 

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