Mission History

St. Andrew's United Church

For over 100 years, St. Andrew's United Church of Cairo has been a place where people from around the world, and around the Cairo metro area, have gathered together to worship God. The inaugural services of St. Andrew's Church in Cairo were held on February 5, 1899, in a classroom offered for this purpose on what is now known as Emad el Din Street. The dedication service in the present sanctuary of St. Andrew's Church was held on January 3, 1909. Worship at St. Andrew's continued during both World Wars, serving the English-speaking military personnel stationed in Cairo.

St. Andrew's ministry also includes assistance for refugees, which began with the arrival of refugees from the Horn of Africa in 1976. At that time, most of these refugees were studying in Cairo under UNHCR auspices. They lacked a meeting place and faced many hours of boredom outside of school. On October 11, 1979, the Thursday evening "Refugee Center" was inaugurated in St. Andrew's Guild Hall. In its early days, as many as 115 people came for games, conversation, and tea. In the early years there was also a rudimentary effort in English-language instruction. The refugee ministry has grown and changed through the years with its primary service today being to refugees from Sudan.