A powerful explosion outside the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross Oct. 27 blew out most of the windows of the Baghdad Seventh-day Adventist Church, situated just 200 meters (660 feet) away.

"Our office staff were already at work in the building when the bomb went off at around 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning," reported Basim Fargo, secretary-treasurer of the Adventist Church in Iraq. Speaking by mobile phone just a few hours after the explosion, Fargo said the blinds on some windows shielded staff from serious injuries as the glass shattered.

Doors and windows on the side facing the Red Cross headquarters, as well as the front entrance of the church, sustained the heaviest damage. Some internal door frames had also been dislodged from the walls by the force of the blast. Shattered glass covered the entire floor of the worship hall following the explosion.

According to Fargo, the ornate stained glass windows, which were a characteristic feature of the worship hall, sustained considerable damage and will be covered up with plywood to secure the building. Lead for these window frames had been imported from England when construction of what many regard as the most beautiful Adventist church in the Middle East was completed in 1962.

"Until today, our church had remained unscathed by the Iran-Iraq war and the two Gulf wars," lamented Fargo.

Michael Porter, president of the Adventist Church in the Middle East region, who was in regular communication with church members Oct. 27, said, "I sensed the dismay and at the same time thankfulness in the voice of brother Fargo as he conveyed the utter shock felt by the seven
people working inside the building at the time. We join the Iraqi community in mourning the needless loss of life at the Red Cross building close by."

The attack was not the first obstacle believers in Iraq have had to face as the nation works to rebuild from more than a decade of war and sanctions. Simply going to church on Sabbath is a real ordeal for many members. Security check points, laborious searches, coupled with road
closures means that journey times have been increased by two hours or more.

Recently, two church members were caught in crossfire as they were driving to weekly worship services. The two abandoned their car in fear for their lives by climbing through the rear window after bullets smashed through the windshield of their car.

Finances may well prove a challenge as members seek to restore this special church building to its former beauty since sanctions made insurance impossible to obtain.

"The members will certainly need help from outside Iraq to repair the damage done in this blast," said Porter.

According to church sources in Baghdad, the office staff was to resume work on Tuesday and some extra helpers have been drafted to ensure that the meeting rooms are ready for normal Sabbath services to take place at the end of the week. About 200 people attend worship services at the church, one of four Adventist congregations in Iraq, each week. [Editor: Alex Elmadjian for ANN/APD]