Since 1922, the Good Friday offering in Episcopal Churches has been designated for Christians in the Middle East, and has in recent decades been directed to the Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
Presiding Bishop Rowe wrote a letter to our church about this, which you can read in full here. The churches in this province provide not just worship and gathering space for Anglican Christians, but they also serve communities for all people impacted by war and violence.
- Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City provides critical medical care to all people, in peacetime and wartime alike.
- St. George’s is the only Anglican church in Iraq, serving local Indigenous communities and displaced people through worship, schools, and medical care.
- Christ Church in Aden, Yemen, serves as the grounds of Ras Morbat Eye Clinic, providing critical medical care for all in a war-torn country.
- The Christian National Kindergarten at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Nablus, in the West Bank, provides high-quality early education to all kindergartners, regardless of religion.
I remind our congregations of our call to serve those who live in the region where Jesus lived, and invite your generosity and support for our siblings in Christ. As you gather at the foot of the cross on Good Friday, spare a prayer for those who live and serve in the midst of oppression, violence, and disruption, and offer a gift of support.
