Surrey Coptic Orthodox congregation seeks funds to rebuild church destroyed by arson

Nearly three years after a fire reduced their church to ashes, members of the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey say they are determined to rebuild. On a Saturday in Fort Langley, dozens of churchgoers held a walkathon and car wash fundraiser to raise money for a new place of worship.

The church, located at 108 Avenue and 139 Street in the city’s Whalley neighbourhood, was destroyed by fire in 2021. The fire was confirmed to be an act of arson. According to the B.C. Prosecution Service, the perpetrator, a 35-year-old woman, pleaded guilty to two counts of arson and has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

The fire left the congregation without a permanent home, said Father Armia Gerges, the church’s priest. “So many things, valuable things, in our church burned down,” he told CBC News. “We had a great loss.” Gerges said the congregation felt “homeless” after the blaze, a loss that brings grief to a community, and that comfort is found in God’s presence (Psalm 34:18).

“But we forgive her, and we are praying for her,” he said of the arsonist.

According to the church’s website, the Coptic Orthodox parish in Surrey was established in 1998 and brings together Coptic, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Iraqi and Lebanese Orthodox believers. The congregation includes around 300 families, according to the church. Since the fire, it has relied on temporary locations for services, currently gathering at an elementary school in Surrey and at the Fort Langley Community Church.

Moving between venues has made it difficult for the community to stay connected, said Michael Habib, a longtime member who has attended the church since he was three years old. “We’re losing people, it’s a real struggle to get people to come together in different places with constantly changing schedules,” he said. “Having the church to come to protected me from a lot of things that I could have otherwise been doing.”

The church has received some insurance money following the fire. However, according to Steven Faltas, project manager for the construction of the new church, the funds are not enough to cover the cost of building it.

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