|TOP|Church leaders in Wales will head to Lebanon and Syria later in the month for a visit to build stronger relations between Christians in the region.
A number of representatives of the main denominations in Wales, including the United Reformed Church and the Congregational Federation, will meet with members of the Middle East Council of Churches.
The team of delegates will also meet with Muslim leaders and politicians during their reconciliation-building trip.
The trip is being organised by Rev. Christopher Gillham, a Congregationalist and chairman of Churches Together in Wales (CYTÛN), with the aim of bringing about a greater understanding between the Welsh visitors and the host representatives of Lebanon and Syria.
"I expect it to correct some of the stereotypical views of Syria as a repressive dictatorship and Lebanon as a chaotic place full of bandits and kidnappers,” said Rev. Gillham.
Welsh delegates will have the opportunity to learn about the faith and lives of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Middle Eastern Christians in Syria and Lebanon, while Syrian and Lebanese Christians will be equally eager to compare and contrast their own experiences of the Christian faith with their Welsh visitors.
Churches Together in Wales is already planning a meeting of youth from the Middle East with those from the West while Syrian clerics are hoping to make a return visit to Wales at some point in the year.
The visit by Welsh church leaders and representatives will take place from March 15 to 26.
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