Egyptian congregation’s action is a model for country’s future

[Martin_Gnanadason Daphne <Daphne.Martin_Gnanadason@wcrc.ch>]

>World Communion of Reformed Churches
>News Release
>25 January 2011

Egyptian congregation’s action is a model for country’s future

As Egyptians gather today in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to mark the first anni 
versary of the revolution that toppled the government of Hosni Mubarak, the  
World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is holding up the example of a  
Christian congregation that transformed its church into a field hospital t o 
treat wounded Muslim and Christian protestors.

“People with medical expertise made themselves available and the church g ave 
‘hospital’ space and refuge to Christians and Muslims alike,” say s the General 
Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC),  Setri Nyomi.

The Jasr El Dobara church, located one block from Tahrir Square, became a g 
athering place in January 2011 for protestors who were wounded and tired, e 
arning the congregation the nickname “Church of the Revolution”.

“This is a model of the supportive and united community protestors were h oping 
to create in their country. Today, one year on, it still stands as an  example 
of cooperation between communities of faith,” Nyomi states.

“Those serving at the make-shift clinic and refuge made the words of Jesu s 
‘Come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest’ com e alive,” 
Nyomi adds.

During talks with the Evangelical Church of Egypt, Nyomi heard of concerns  
about tension between some Muslim and Christian groups that has led to viol 
ence, including destruction of worship spaces.

“Members of the church continue to pray for a nation which values all its  
citizens no matter what their religion.  It is their hope that as Egypt ma ps 
its democratic life going forward, it will be characterised by respect f or all 
the religious communities and freedom to live and contribute to the  new 
Egypt,” Nyomi reports.
In praising efforts of the Evangelical Church to participate in rebuilding  the 
country, Nyomi says: “It is my hope that the emerging political leade rs will 
value freedom of religion and will work hard at creating space for  all 
Egyptians to participate fully in building a new Egypt in which the wel fare of 
all is paramount.”

WCRC was created in June 2010 through a merger of the World Alliance of Ref 
ormed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC). Its 230 me 
mber churches representing 80 million Christians are active worldwide in in 
itiatives supporting economic, climate and gender justice, mission, and coo 
peration among Christians of different traditions.

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