Evangelical Groups Break Ground, Seek To Raise $50M For New Worship Center In Qatar

The World Evangelical Alliance has joined the Evangelical Churches Alliance in Qatar in a ceremony held on Jan. 24 to interrupt ground for a deliberate handle heart for Evangelical Christians advance the capital of the Heart Jap nation.

The US $50 million project that can present condominium for up to 10,000 worshippers concurrently is to be constructed on land leased free of brand from the executive. Yet, the tiny alliance made up basically of international workers seeks lend a hand from the WEA and worldwide partners to conquer the problem of elevating the necessary funding to salvage the guts within the necessary 5-twelve months duration ending in 2028.

A tiny peninsular Arab nation, most of Qatar’s population of 2.7 million is made up of expatriates (88%). Around 15% of the population identify as Christians, representing basically a numerous mixture of Asian, African, European and North and South American international workers.

As a Muslim-majority nation, Qatar enforces strict suggestions on non secular activities. Whereas it permits expats belonging to registered faith teams to handle amongst themselves, evangelism is forbidden, and Muslims can even no longer convert to any diversified faith.

For decades, church buildings made up of Evangelical expats own worshiped in inner most properties and rented spaces however did no longer own the correct to comprise church buildings. Now they bought permission from the Qatari executive on the side of leased land to comprise a handle advanced that may per chance well seemingly also turn into dwelling to the total church buildings affiliated with the executive-known Evangelical Alliance, ECAQ.

Constructing a handle heart for Evangelical expats in Qatar

The space of land is found on the Mesaimeed Religious Advanced in the Abu Hamour condominium outdoors of Doha where the Qatar executive and representatives of plenty of diversified Christian teams signed a 50-twelve months rent agreement in 2005 to permit registered church buildings to comprise handle centers for his or her expat communities. The Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Syrian and Greek Orthodox Churches are amongst the eight teams that already constructed church buildings in the advanced.

After seven years of lobbying by ECAQ, the Qatari executive moreover granted Evangelicals one hectare of land 10 years ago. A groundbreaking ceremony used to be held in October 2015, however the land used to be later reclaimed by the executive attributable to its strategic region.

Which capacity that, ECAQ renewed its appeal for a novel assign of abode and the executive supplied a novel space — twice the dimension of the customary — in November 2023. On the change hand, the increased land condominium moreover a great deal raised the price of developing the novel church constructing, consistent with ECAQ.

It envisions that the handle heart will condominium handle halls, a e book shop, a espresso shop and spaces for weddings and events to generate income.

“Once constructed, the constructing will own three floors for services and handle, and an auditorium that can condominium a assembly with a seating capacity of up to 1,700. Furthermore, there are many diversified dimension church assembly venues all thru the comprise, pretty about a from sizes of 50 up to 500 participants on the side of its gain parking facilities. Upon completion, it is hoped that the handle heart will be ready to host 10,000 worshipers concurrently,” ECAQ says.

Taking a look to the World Evangelical Alliance and Korean church buildings to conquer funding challenges

Fashioned in 2005 by Filipino church buildings, ECAQ says its membership this present day entails 128 church buildings that alter in dimension from about a hundred people to plenty of thousand. It estimates its constituency at correct over 17,000 church people, a majority of which would per chance perchance seemingly be Filipinos, on the side of Africans, Indians, Arabic Christians, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, Indonesians and Korean church buildings.

In a promotional video for the novel handle heart, the Alliance expresses its gratitude to the Qatari executive for providing the land however adds, “Whereas the land has been donated, the constructing, however, has to be constructed at ECAQ’s gain expense.”

“Elevating funds for this unbelievable project is a predominant difficulty with the total brand of the project estimated to be 50 million U.S. dollars,” the crew says.

Many church buildings are tiny, with individuals who can even no longer own the monetary plot to independently fund constructing while moreover covering condo prices for his or her most modern handle spaces, ECAQ says. Many congregants are workers and laborers from all thru the nation who own moved to Doha for employment.

ECAQ moreover aspects to “a five-twelve months timeline that has been given by the Qatari executive for the completion of the project. This understandably puts unheard of stress on all obtainable sources.”

Attributable to this reality, they’ve been attempting to search out worldwide sponsors hoping the project will reach to fruition “thru the monetary and prayerful lend a hand of WEA” and diversified partners. In the architectural drawings, the WEA logo is moreover featured prominently alongside ECAQ’s logo on the front of the constructing.

In his congratulatory speech, WEA Deputy Secretary Fashioned for Ministries Rev. Samuel Chiang described the ceremony “as a milestone of our collective faith besides to God’s unwavering faithfulness and provision.”

“The constructing of the handle heart is greater than architectural, it is a non secular act of handle, a manifestation of our faith in the God who calls us to both envision and attain His kingdom on earth.”

Rev. Chiang used to be joined by Rev. Yeonjong Ju, accomplice apstor of Sarang Church in Seoul, Korea, which is on legend of host the upcoming WEA Fashioned Assembly in October and provides a lot of the funding for the tournament. Rev. Ju’s presence suggests that the WEA and ECAQ may per chance well even be taking a look to Korean church buildings to offer monetary lend a hand for the multimillion-buck project.

With the fundraising theme of “Constructing a Enormous Legacy Together In the Heart East For His Glory”, ECAQ expressed its hope that “the completion of this project will act as a catalyst in advancing WEA’s imaginative and prescient for the plot in which forward for the Gospel, serving as a launching pad for the empowerment of church buildings in evangelism and discipleship.”

Reflecting on the groundbreaking ceremony, ECAQ President Bishop Beda Robles commented, “Might per chance perchance our loving Jesus be glorified and known by your total world! Might per chance perchance Our God of heaven himself prosper and provides us success as we His participants (Evangelical) come up and comprise this project collectively (John 17:20-21). Involved in His glory and honor and for the plot in which forward for the Gospel in furtherance of His Kingdom in the Muslim world.”

Religious freedom assign of abode remains dire in Qatar

Despite the Qatari executive’s acceptance of expat Christian communities and the offer of land for registered church buildings to comprise handle centers, non secular freedom in the nation remains severely restricted.

In step with the 2023 U.S. Pronounce Department document on non secular freedom in Qatar, conversion from Islam to any other faith is legally conception to be apostasy and is unlawful by regulation, though no recorded punishments were implemented since the nation gained independence in 1971.

“Proselytizing on one’s gain accord for any faith diversified than Islam can even cease up in a sentence of up to 5 years’ imprisonment. The regulation requires two years’ imprisonment and an excellent of 10,000 riyals ($2,700) for possession of written or recorded materials or items that lend a hand or promote missionary job,” the document adds.

Qatar is moreover ranked forty first amongst Commence Doorways’ 2025 World Detect List of worldwide locations where Christians face the most stress for his or her faith.

“Christians in Qatar are both workers from non-Muslim worldwide locations, or participants from Muslim backgrounds — and the two no longer ceaselessly interact,” Commence Doorways writes.

“Qatar is an increasing number of utilizing evolved technology to tune both electorate and immigrants. This has caused Christians in Qatar to turn into an increasing number of cautious about their activities. There are few reports of Christians being bodily harmed for his or her faith, because believers from Muslim backgrounds lend a hand their faith secret.”

This text used to be at the start printed by Christian Day-to-day World. 

Christian Day-to-day World provides biblical, good and personal news, tales and perspectives from every space, focusing on non secular freedom, holistic mission and diversified concerns relevant for the worldwide Church nowadays.

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