Syria/Lebanon Partnership — December 2022 Update
Editor’s note: In October, an eight-member team from The Outreach Foundation spent ten days in Syria, meeting with Presbyterian congregations and pastors. Here, a member of our team reflects on the encounter with a faithful church, off the beaten path…
What was Planted, Remains
By Rev. Tony Lorenz
First Presbyterian Church, Carlisle, PA
Crossing the mountains from Latakia brought us to the old city of Hama. A warren of tightly packed streets led us to the unobtrusive front door of the National Evangelical Church, founded in 1869. This was the first visit for all of us.
Stepping through the front door, we entered a courtyard where the ghosts of laughter and children playing seemed to surround us. The church operated a highly respected school here in Hama for many years until it was closed by the government in the late 1960s. The old classrooms are gathering dust today, but it does not take much to imagine this place filled with life.
The Rev. Ma’an Bitar and his wife Ghawth Hanna welcomed us to Hama, along with a dozen or so members of the congregation who came to the church on Monday morning to meet our team. Many of them are lifelong members, who recalled the days when the school was still in operation and they had their own pastor. There is still hope for the future here, dreams that one day the school will be reopened and a full-time pastor will live here again. But in the meantime, they remain committed to the church, dedicated to providing a witness to the Christian faith in this place.
I am always astounded by the resiliency of human beings, and how we keep our hopes and dreams alive even in the midst of great struggle. Paul’s words to the Romans flashed through my mind, “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). It is easy to feel the Holy Spirit in Hama, it is a holy place.
Every Friday, Assis Ma’an comes to Hama to lead worship as he has done for 33 years. During the war, he did not miss a single Friday service. There were times when the drive from Mhardeh was dangerous, but Hama largely avoided the destruction seen in other cities. In the early days of the war, the city fathers decided they had seen enough fighting in their lifetimes and told anyone who was thinking about joining the fight to go do it somewhere else.
Our visit to Hama was all too brief; soon we were again on the road, this time to Aleppo. As we zipped down the highway I kept thinking of Isaiah’s words, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (Isaiah 52:7). We crossed mountains to arrive in Hama, but we did not bring good news there. Others did that long ago. The Presbyterians of Hama have known the good news of Jesus since 1869. Instead, we crossed mountains to share our love and offer a word of encouragement and support. And in doing so, we were encouraged by this faithful church of Jesus Christ.
Read more about the Syria/Lebanon Partnership HERE.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Outreach Foundation is seeking gifts to support the mission and ministry of the Syria/Lebanon Partnership. All gifts of any size are welcomed to support our Presbyterian family of faith in Syria and Lebanon during this difficult time. A small portion of this fund will assist related ministries in the region which care for refugees and other vulnerable segments of society. You may make a gift HERE or by sending a check to our office.
We gathered in the sanctuary to share a prayer and mutual encouragement as the family-of-faith that we are.