Little Old Church in Cairo

We occasionally worship at St. Andrew’s United Church of Cairo. It was built by the Church of Scotland back in 1909, but Cairo has grown around it.

Take a look in the upper left hand corner of that photo again. That is a bus driving along the flyover while everyone is trickling out of the church to shake the pastors’ hands.

The community here is tight, with 10-20 regular worshipers. Every service is followed by about an hour of tea time, where everyone chats and new people are introduced.

Worship happens on Fridays and Sundays, but Friday is the big one. Since Egypt is an Islamic country, Friday is the “day off,” when most Egyptians go to the mosque for the noon prayer. St. Andrew’s describes itself as “international, interdenominational” which is pretty accurate. The pastor & pastoral intern are Lutheran. The hymnal is Presbyterian. “Sharing the peace” isn’t the 2-minutes of standing still and shaking hands with your immediate neighbors, though, that I’m used to from Lutheran churches back in the states. No, its a 15 minute affair, as everyone stands up and walks around to share the peace with everyone else.

There is a wonderful organist and and awesome pianist (subject to availability).

This is Tim, the Intern Pastor and his girlfriend, Rachel. Rachel is also a pastor-in-training, but she was just out here to visit.

I also volunteer at St. Andrews twice a week, as the church hosts a school for refugees. I’m teaching 4 refugee students chemistry and physics, trying to get them ready for the IGCSE exams. You see, refugees in Cairo are not allowed in the public school system past the age of 12 or so. They learn English at St. Andrews and take other classes. Unfortunately, though, St. Andrews isn’t accredited, so the ones who do well and “graduate” don’t get a diploma that any university will recognize. Most universities will accept an international exam as evidence of a student’s academic proficiency in lieu of a diploma, though, so I am trying to help these four pass their exams.

Here are some of the “caravans” used as classrooms. During the week, in between classes, there are scores of kids running around.

“Built from Funds Raised by the Woman’s Guild”

I wonder of those Scottish ladies ever expected their guild hall to be used as classrooms for Sudanese kids?

No doubt, this is a very different environment from my other teaching gig in Cairo, where one student asked me, “I forgot my homework… Can I call my driver and have him come bring it to me?” None of the student here have drivers. I have to hunt each week for a “classroom” to teach in. This has varied from a conference room to a classroom in the “German church” up the road to a corner in the basement to taking over Tim’s closet office.

Here is the church’s website, which I helped Tim get off the ground with a new design and setup this week:

• http://standrewschurchcairo.com

I went around a few weeks ago and took a bunch of pics of the various plaques around the sanctuary. They reflect a time past in Cairo.

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TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE ERECTION AND OPENING OF
ST. ANDREWS CHURCH, CAIRO.
THIS STONE WAS LAID
BY
SIR ELDON GORST K.C.B.
H.B.M. MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY AGENT AND CONSUL GENERAL
IN EGYPT
ON THE 2ND DAY OF JANUARY, A.D. MCMIX
—–
THE VERY REVEREND J. MITFORD MITCHELL D.D.
CONVENER OF THE COLONIAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
—–
“PRAISE GOD IN HIS SANCTUARY” Ps. 150.1
—–

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TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF
MARIA COLLINS.
EDINBURGH
DEACONESS OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
BORN 1830, DIED 1910
WHO SPENT MANY WINTERS OF THE LATER
YEARS OF AN ACTIVE LIFE IN THIS CITY
AND DEVOTED MUCH TIME AND ENERGY
TO THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF
THIS CHURCH.

“Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy
house and the place where Thine honour
dwelleth.”

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IN LOVING MEMORY OF
HELEN MARGARET ABEL
DIED IN CAIRO 12TH FEB 1924
I THANK MY GOD UPON
EVERY REMEMBRANCE
OF YOU

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IN MEMORY OF
ALEXANDER R FERGUSON O B E M D
BORN 23RD JUNE 1870
DIED 21ST FEBRUARY 1920
PROFESSOR OF PATHOLOGY MEDICAL SCHOOL CAIRO
AN ELDER OF THIS CHURCH
—–
A MAN GREATLY BELOVED

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In loving memory of
THOMAS MATHESON, ESQ.
OF LIVERPOOL
Born in Edinburgh, February 11th 1823
Dies suddenly at the Barrage near Cairo, January 16th, 1901
“Thou has made him exceedingly glad with Thy countenance”
“They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb” therefor are they before the Throne

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TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND TO COMMEMORATE THE ASSOCIATION
WITH THIS CHURCH OF THE SECOND
NEW ZEALAND EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
MANY MEMBERS OF WHICH WORSHIPPED
HERE FROM 1940 TO 1940

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IN MEMORY OF
JOHN ALEXANDER CRAWFORD, O.B.E.
BORN 6TH SEPTEMBER 1878
DIED 27TH JANUARY 1953

SUB-GOVERNOR OF THE NATIONAL BANK OF EGYPT
FROM 1925 TO 1938
ELDER, SESSION CLERK AND FOR 49 YEARS
HONORARY TREASURER OF THIS CHURCH

“a good man and a just”

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In loving memory of
Neva I. Vogelaar
Feb 1, 1931 – May 18, 1998
With love and thanks to God for the gifts of
music, laughter, prayer, and service that she
shared with the St. Andrew’s community
from 1972-1988.

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