The Church of the Epiphany

The Project

The Anglican Centre in Doha, Qatar, is being built with the kind permission of His Highness The Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, on a site leased by the State of Qatar. The Centre will provide a welcome for all Anglican/Protestant/Evangelical Christians, to address both their spiritual and community needs.

The Centre will be the spiritual home for the Anglican congregation and many other Christian congregations, and groups, who wish to worship there. This Ecumenical tradition of hospitality is well established in the Anglican Church in the Gulf, where many Christian groups do not have their own dedicated buildings. We currently accommodate  42 additional Evangelical, Pentecostal and Protestant congregations at the Anglican Centre!

There is also a Chapel which is situated in the south courtyard. This will be used for daily worship, weddings and baptisms. In addition there will be classrooms, meeting rooms and many variously-sized assembly halls available for other Church Groups, Youth Groups, Sunday Schools, Prayer Groups and Christian activities, plus administrative and storage functions. The Centre will also include a Courtyard of Remembrance – a quiet area for private prayer and meditation. A community area to the north side of the main Sanctuary features a cross-shaped baptistry modeled on ancient churches of the early church, bordered by function halls, rooms and offices which will be available for use by community groups for meetings, wedding receptions and other community celebrations.


Construction Phases

With the concurrence of our Bishop, it was decided to build the Centre in a series of stages.

Phase 1, the first, and most important stage, has been completed and is currently in use. It consists of the following facilities:

1. Site Development, construction of sub-station, three gate-house buildings perimeter walls and security gates;
2. Two Assembly Halls to accommodate up to 250 persons each. The Assembly Hall on the ground floor will eventually (upon completion of the entire Project) be converted into a fellowship hall, with kitchen facilities, where worshippers can gather prior to and after their respective services.
3. One temporary Assembly Hall to accommodate up to 200 persons.
4. Two temporary Assembly Halls to accommodate up to 100 persons each.
5. Two Assembly Halls to accommodate up to 80 persons each.
6. Two Assembly Halls to accommodate up to 50 persons each.
7. Four rooms to accommodate 25 persons each or for use as Children’s Church.
8. Toilets and infant care rooms (with wheelchair access)
9. Church Office.

Phase 2 is the central part of the building with a Welcome Court (atrium) at the front with a grand staircase to the first floor level.

At the heart of the Centre is the Church of the Epiphany, situated on the first floor of Phase 2, with a balcony on the second floor. This sanctuary will accommodate up to 650 worshipers. An electronic organ, equivalent in size to the largest in Qatar, has been donated and will be situated at balcony centre.

Situated on the ground floor beneath the main sanctuary is a large assembly hall which will be able to seat congregations upwards of 500 persons. Folding walls between this Hall and adjacent rooms allows for this hall to be increased in size, for conventions and similar activities, to accommodate up to approximately 900 people.

It is anticipated that construction works on Phase 2 will commence before the end of 2011 and essentially completed by end October 2012.

Phase 3 is essentially a mirror image of Phase 1, but with several subtle changes:

1. The two 250 seat Assembly Halls (as in Phase 1) now include the adjacent rooms, which increases their seating capacity to about 350 each. These halls will be able to be sub-divided by means of electrically operated vertical folding walls, which will have the ability to divide these rooms into two or three smaller rooms (of differing capacity) at the push of a button, as and when required.
2. At the rear of the building (on ground and first floor levels), there are two Assembly Halls of about 250 seating capacity, which can also be sub-divided as above. The ground floor rooms will be able to be opened up into the Phase 2 Hall at ground level.
3. The Chapel of All Nations will accommodate upwards of 80 worshippers.
4. Toilets and infant care rooms (with wheelchair access)

The construction of the shell (concrete and block works) of Phase 3 is well under way, and due for completion by the end of 2011. Finishing works will then proceed at a steady pace and should be completed by mid 2012.

An official opening is planned for 6th January 2013.


How Can You Help?

Mostly, we would be grateful for your prayers of support. We are pleased that funding for the construction is now available, however, we are seeking sponsors for the “finishings” (baptismal font, altar and communion rail, pews, reredos, stained glass windows, etc).

Our “Donations” page includes details on supporting this worthwhile and unique project.


Further Information

If you would like further information on donating to this very worthwhile cause, please contact: The Ven. Canon Bill Schwartz at rector@epiphany-qatar.org or on Mobile Telephone Number +974 5514-6706.