Aug. 29, 2021

Walking down the hallway, I hear voices singing, instruments ringing, and preachers speaking in different languages past the thresholds of closed doors.

A different sign is posted on the wall outside each door.

Antioch Hall C2. Ephesus Hall. Anglican Church of the Epiphany.

On any given Friday, 72 church services are held within the walls of this particular building—and this building is only one among a cluster of buildings that make up the Religious Complex Center in Doha, according to Sammy, who volunteers at the center.

Sammy, who is from Kenya, said that volunteers stay at the center from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday—then a new set of volunteers come on Saturday for 20 more church services.

Peeking through the window of a door, I see chairs spaced out across the room and people clapping and raising their hands. Near the entrance of the door is a rack filled with shoes—mostly sandals.

As I head up the stairs, my curiosity rises as I find even more doors with music bursting from the hinges.

Behind one of those doors is the service for Grace Fellowship, my church. Opening the door, I see Christians of all ages and nationalities singing “I Surrender All.” The wooden pews and stained-glass windows take me back to my hometown church.

Preparing for church in Qatar though is different than preparing for church in Oklahoma, where numerous churches are easily accessible and remain open throughout the week.

In Qatar, conversion to another religion from Islam remains illegal, according to the U.S. Department of State 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Qatar.

But in 2008, Qatar opened its first church after Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar’s emir from 1995-2013, donated land for the church location, according to an Al Jazeera Media Network news article.

Today, eight Christian denominations, along with Sunni and Shai Muslims, “constitute the registered religious groups” in Qatar, according to the U.S. Department of State report.

Abdul Hamid al-Ansari, former dean of the sharia (Islamic law) school at Qatar University, has voiced his support of churches.

“Let’s all welcome the presence of churches in Qatar … as a demonstration of Islamic tolerance and human brotherhood,” he told the Al Jazeera Media Network.

As a Christian expat, I am grateful for this freedom—the freedom to choose to worship with a community of believers in a public place.

Each Friday—the day of worship for all faiths in Qatar—I leave my apartment at 7:15 a.m. to drive to the Religious Complex Center.

Thirty minutes later, I enter a parking lot—which resembles the large, open lots at the OKC Fairgrounds—and see dozens of vehicles already parked.

After walking cross the street, I enter a small building where I stop at the female-only security checkpoint. I place my purse and Bible on the conveyor belt and walk through the metal detector. Exiting the building, I head down another street with a row of buildings.

I take in my surroundings. I see clusters of families dressed in brightly colored, traditional Indian clothing, as well as a few women wearing hijabs.

It’s 102°F. My FitBit indicates that I’ve walked three-fourths of a mile since I left my apartment. Sweating under my mask, I finally find the right building, walk upstairs, and open the door of Grace Fellowship Church.

Following the sermon, I meet Annie from the UK and Pepe from India.

“Are you planning on coming regularly?” Annie asked.

Sometimes, the ladies and I go out for breakfast, she added.

I smiled under my mask. “Yes,” I said.

As I walked back to my car, vehicles continued to pull into the parking lot as others drove away.

“It’s the freedom to choose,” I thought.