The 'Vicar of Baghdad to preach at St Paul's

As the refugee crisis persists across the Middle East, the priest dubbed 'the Vicar of Baghdad' is set to preach at St Paul's.

Canon Andrew White, an expert in conflict mediation in some of the world's most war-torn regions, will take to the pulpit at St Paul's for the 11.30am Sung Eucharist on Sunday 1 November.

Until November 2014, Canon Andrew pastored one of the largest churches in Iraq - St George’s Church in Baghdad – a position which afforded him the moniker ‘The Vicar of Baghdad’. Unfortunately he had to leave the country owing to security fears.

He has extensive experience of conflict mediation in Iraq and the wider Middle East. President and CEO of the Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East, launched in 2005, he has written extensively about conflict resolution and has been involved in many hostage negotiations. 

Speaking about his invitation to preach at St Paul's, The Reverend Canon Tricia Hillas, Pastor, said: "A report from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees published in June says that in 2014 there were almost 60 million refugees and internally displaced people around the globe. That’s one in every 122 people worldwide fleeing their homes. If this were the population of a country, it would be the world's 24th largest.

In such times we need to hear the voices of those who have experience of life on the ground in regions where conflict and unrest give rise to the conditions in which people feel they have to flee for their lives. Canon Andrew White is one of those voices and we are delighted that he will be coming to preach here at St Paul's.