Iraqi pastor returns from ´exile´

January 17, 2011

Over a period of several days in September the Lord began to tell him that it was time to return.  Then he received two confirming phone calls from brothers who told him that the Lord had told them the same thing as well. Ghassan decided to return to Baghdad late last month. The outreach of the Baghdad church continues to be strong.  In mid-October they baptized 45 people. As well, outreach efforts in Northern Iraq (Kurdistan) are seeing the Lord’s blessing.  
Ghassan has been able to register the C&MA of Iraq in Kurdistan along with an international church. On a recent Sunday afternoon 9 people were baptized in a mountain stream and other baptisms are occurring in other cities in this region.

The vision the Lord gave Ghassan of planting 18 Alliance churches in Iraq is being fulfilled.  There are currently five.  Ghassan says, “I am ‘pregnant’ with 13 other churches!”  And two more are almost ready to be born. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Iraq who daily face hardships and dangers that many of us cannot imagine.  Yet in spite of that the Lord’s work continues to move forward. Praise Him for those who are coming into His Kingdom!