Lay Pastor at St. George's, Baghdad Kidnapped

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=3197

[The Living Church] 26 Apr 2007--The lay pastor of St George’s Memorial Church, the Anglican parish in Baghdad has been kidnapped. If the church does not pay the kidnappers $40,000 within 24 hours they have threatened to kill him.

The Rev. Canon Andrew White, vicar of St. George’s, informed supporters of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East in an email message sent April 25.

Through negotiations, the parish was able to lower the initial ransom demand. While objecting in principle to ransom payments, Canon White noted “if do not pay them quickly, people are killed. We have already lost too many of our leaders.”