Lebanon

Christian history in Lebanon goes back to the days when Christ visited south Lebanon during his public ministry. Until the early 1970s Christians comprised the majority of the Lebanese population but at present they constitute less than 45 percent.

Lebanon is the only country in the Middle East in which religious freedom is constitutionally protected.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) involvement in Lebanon began in the early 1800s, through missionaries from the Reformed tradition who worked there in education and health care. In 1956 the national church, known as the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon , assumed total charge of the ministries of the Presbyterian churches. (See further information on the Syria page.)

At present PC(USA) involvement in Lebanon is through mission personnel working with traditional partners in the country: the National Synod, the Near East School of Theology, the Middle East Council of Churches, and the Jinishian Foundation.

May 12, 2008

Letter from Mary Mikhael, Near East School of Theology president

Thank you sincerely for your prayers and for your concern about our safety and security. In fact, today I came to my office planning that the first thing I will do is to write you all knowing how much you will be thinking of us.

On Wednesday, May 7, the Labor syndicate was supposed to be on general strike. The main request was a correction of salaries in the face of the continued rise in the cost of living. Two days earlier the government had met and issued some insignificant raises in salaries, which was supposedly the cause for the strike of the Labor Force. Among other government decisions were two, one related to the chief of airport security and the other related to a communication (telephone network) system set by "Hizbulla" for its own security. The last two were considered by "Hizbulla" as a declaration of war by the government against it. [Read more]

Resources

Presbyterian Mission and Witness in the Middle East
Churches can still celebrate a "Week of Witness with Christians of the Middle East."

Related stories

May 12, 2008 Update on Lebanon: Letter from NEST president Mary Mikhael
April 17, 2008 [WCC] Migration: Welcoming the stranger is not optional, says WCC
April 15, 2008 [WCC] Lebanon: Muslims and Christians tackle migration together
March 18, 2008 Presbyterian legacy in Lebanon focus of April event at New York’s 5th Avenue Church
March 12, 2008  PDA Situation Reports
January 18, 2008 Three new mission workers appointed — for service in the Dominican Republic, Lebanon, and the Mexico-U.S. border
October 17, 2007 The healing power of memory
Two kindred spirits discover a common bond and a shared calling to tell the stories — past and present — of the Lebanese people
June 21, 2007 Lebanese church leaders experience renewal and recovery through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Davidson College
May 31, 2007 Cultural survival: Jinishian program a lifeline for Lebanese Armenians
March 29, 2007 PW grant enabled female judges in Syrian, Lebanese church courts
January 19, 2007 PC(USA) delegation shares thoughts, concerns from the Middle East

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 326

November 19

Overview of the Middle East

The Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon: A Brief History

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