Iraqi Baptists look to establish school in Baghdad

AMMAN, Jordan (FBW)—A few decades ago it was not that unusual to talk about establishing Baptist schools and other ministries throughout the Middle East and in North Africa. But sometime along the way, interest has dwindled as political tensions have made life and work difficult in those regions-and the encroaching fundamentalism of many of those countries has created almost impenetrable barrier

When Southern Baptist missionaries Brian and Vicki Barlow began work at the Baptist school in Amman, Jordan, in 1997, there were already schools in Beirut, Lebanon; Ajloun, Jordan; Nazareth, Palestine– Barlow told Florida Baptist Witness in an interview.

For more than 30 years, however, Barlow said there had been no growth and little vision in the region of how to use education institutions as partners in evangelism and church planting.

FBW Photo by Joni B. Hannigan

Brian Barlow (l) prays with Muthafar Yacoub, the moderator of the newly formed Iraq Baptist Union.

Now Barlow said he believes the time is right to begin a self-supporting Baptist school in Baghdad, Iraq, similar to the ones in Amman and Beirut.

"We are fully partnering with the Lebanese to make that dream a reality," Barlow said. "Partnering with like-minded persons and other international organizations, the [newly established] Baptist Union of Iraq is in the process of raising capital funding to build the school."

The Baghdad Baptist School will become a "hub" for evangelical teachers and staff to gather and share ministry ideas, Barlow reported. In addition, the school facilities will be open for use by all churches and for the children of the community.

Plans are for the school to be the center of an educational ministry center providing excellent academic instruction to its Muslim and Christian students, with a community library open in the evenings to college and university students. The school will host a community radio station to broadcast educational and Christian related programming-and will organize an after school program of sports and social clubs.

The projected cost for the school is $5.5 million U.S. dollars which will be used for purchasing land, building or renovating school buildings and a national education training center, furnishing and equipping the school and training center, and funding initial operation expenses. The school and training center will be designed to be self-supporting after the first year of operation.

For more information, contact: The Baptist School of Amman, Brian Barlow, P.O. Box 17033, Amman 11195, (06) 551-6907, 551-6908 or e-mail gm@baptist.com.jo.