The Rev. Canon Robert (Bob) Edmunds and his wife Deborah served as missionaries of The Episcopal Church in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem from 2008 to 2011. Working with Archbishop Suheil Dawani, the Edmunds were physical representations of the longstanding relationship between The Episcopal Church and the church in the Holy Land. The knowledge, experience, and relationships Bob gained during his missionary service forms the foundation for his current ministry as the Partnership Officer for Jerusalem and the Middle East. In this role, he works directly with the diocese of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East and with individuals, parishes, dioceses, and organizations of The Episcopal Church who are involved in the region.

 In today’s post, Bob shares news and resources from two Episcopal Church parishes that have come across his desk recently.

The situation which exists for Christians in the Middle East continues to deteriorate.  The world now faces the greatest humanitarian crisis in a generation with literally millions of people displaced, despairing, and desperate.

The Rev. Christopher Bishop, Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Radnor, PA, is headed to Erbil, Iraq later this month on a solidarity visit to bring badly needed financial support which he and his parish have raised.  In cooperation with the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf (which works ecumenically for humanitarian relief in Iraq along-side Kurdish and Iraqi authorities), Fr. Bishop has made contact with a Chaldean Catholic parish and its priest and will visit him and his parish during his time in Erbil.

We can follow along with Fr. Bishop’s journey on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. More information about standing with Iraqi Christians is available on the program’s website.

The Rev. Matthew Heyd, Rector of the Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York, NY, shared this article with his parish as a way to engage the ongoing refugee crisis. The article lists concrete ways that Christians can be involved in supporting refugees from Syria.

The need is great.  The need is now.  You can help.  We all can help.