The Assyrian Church of the East (ACOE) welcomed a new patriarch in Erbil on Sept. 13. Mar Awa Royel is the first American-born bishop of the ancient church and only the ninth new patriarch since 1780. In his new role, Royel must now guide the church through both political and spiritual challenges and encourage a community that is facing mounting pressure to leave Iraq, where the Assyrian population has dwindled from 1.5 million in 2003 to below 200,000 today.