Background

In the midst of the war in Iraq in 2003, a member of H.O.M.E. and of the Grace Brethren Church in Columbus, Ohio, felt led to go to Iraq to further the Kingdom by spreading the Word of God. Once there, he was overjoyed to see the spiritual growth of the people, and invited four pastors from the Grace Brethren Church in Ohio to come to Baghdad and visit a newly founded church, which had opened only two months after the war began.

They accepted his invitation, and were able to share in the happiness of seeing many people come to know the Lord. They saw firsthand how mightily the Lord was working among His people. During their trip, however, they also got a sense of the suffering of the people, and were moved to take an active part in the Lord’s work in Baghdad. The group desired to begin reaching out to the Iraqi people through healthcare services and community service classes. When H.O.M.E. leadership was told about the vision for this ministry, they gladly welcomed the idea with open arms and hearts. Shortly after, the Grace Community Health Center was established in a partnership between the Grace Brethren Church of Ohio and H.O.M.E. Funds were raised at the Grace Brethren Church through the Lord’s provision and intervention, and a building located in a Christian neighborhood of Baghdad was leased for $40,000, payable over a period of 10 years.

Staff and Activities

Two Iraqi physicians, an internist and a dentist came to know the Lord through one of the evangelistic outreaches held by the church, after which they indicated their desire to become a part of this newly unfolding ministry. Currently, the clinic is still in the process of being renovated and stocked; plans for altering the building to better suit the specific needs of the Grace Community Health Center are underway.

Future Plans and Current Needs

The two-story building will eventually house the clinic on the ground floor and the community center on the top floor. The clinic will offer medical services such as dentistry, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and a pharmacy. The building is being designed to include a large waiting room on the first floor. The room will contain a big screen on which worship songs, spiritual sermons and other Christian resources can be projected as patients wait for their turn to be seen.

Two rooms and one balcony have been added to the top floor. One of the rooms will have a small lab and vision exam room, and the other will be used as a general office for the ministry. The existing rooms will be used for community services offering English, computer and career classes.