Church training continues in Syria despite turmoil

Friday marks the start of Easter for Christians across the Middle East, but with the Syrian opposition calling for protest, this year’s celebrations are tinged with uncertainty.

Christians have, like the rest of the population in Syria, been affected by the conflict between President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and opposition forces.

Tens of thousands of Christians have fled the city of Homs, where fighting has been most intense, with many heading to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

A ceasefire was reached in Syria this week but it is a fragile one and in terms of where the country is headed next, no one is sure.

“We are following events in Syria very, very closely,” said Arab World Ministries’ Christine McLaren.

“We do have personnel in Syria and we continue to pray for them.”

People are undoubtedly suffering in Syria, but Christians more so, she says, because they felt a degree of sympathy with the al-Assad regime.

The relative freedom to gather and worship that they enjoyed under al-Assad leaves them with mixed feelings about any change of leader.

“People are afraid because Christians have felt protected by the current government,” said McLaren.

“The Christians are caught because under the current regime they experienced a measure of protection compared to other Christians in the Middle East, but being aligned with the regime has made them vulnerable to attack and identified them as enemies of the people.”

Christians are also unnerved by the situation for Christians in the likes of Iraq and in Egypt. In Iraq, dozens of Christians have been killed in targeted attacks by Islamic extremists who see Christians as co-conspirators of the West. In Egypt, the fall of Hosni Mubarak has been followed by attacks on churches and there is uncertainty about the fate of Christians under the Muslim Brotherhood.

“The Middle East’s Christians have seen what’s happened in Iraq where there have been some pretty pointed, targeted attacks on Christians, particularly on their holy days.

“It will be interesting to see how Easter goes for the Christians there and how they will be treated.”

There has been a Christian presence in Syria since the earliest days of Christianity 2,000 years ago. Paul was converted on the road to Damascus and a Christian community sprang up there during his ministry. Today, there are an estimated 1.2 million Christians living in the country.

Despite the uncertainty in Syria, some Christians have remained, including most of AWM’s ground staff. Thankfully, only one colleague has been forced to evacuate as a result of fighting.

The rest are continuing on in their work of resourcing and equipping the church. AWM has been particularly involved in the training of churches in evangelism.

This is a relatively new focus for the church in Syria, she explains, as for many years the churches have been primarily concerned with ensuring that they have the freedom to meet and worship in peace.

“Christians in the Middle East do need to find their allies where they can,” she says.

“They have sought alliances and allegiances for that sense of protection and there is a degree of pragmatism in trying to preserve their numbers.

“It’s not easy for Syrian Christians and we understand why they would want to emigrate but we want to build up the church in Syria where we can.

“People are staying and seeking to honour Christ in these days, and seeking to encourage the church.”

Despite the country facing an uncertain future, McLaren says she is excited to see what God will do in Syria.

The Arab Spring has led to upheaval in some places but there are also signs of hope. She is greatly encouraged by what is happening, in Tunisia, where it all began. There, Christians are now enjoying greater freedom.

The hope is that the Arab Spring will lead to greater opportunities for God’s working elsewhere in the Middle East region.

“This is Easter weekend in the Middle East so we will be praying with them,” says McLaren.

“The history is so rich but we are also excited about the church now and what it’s doing for this generation.

“We are praying not just for protection but for boldness and for fruit and redemption from these terrible times.

“They are facing the unknown but we pray for the extension of God’s kingdom in all of the Middle East - we are excited to see what God will do next.”