Urgent Appeal to all the Evangelical and Protestant Churches and Organizations Across the World regarding the crisis in the Middle East

Lebanon's political stalemate was supposed to be resolved weeks ago. Instead it drags on, with Tuesday's parliamentary session to elect a new head of state now postponed for the eighth time since September. And as the impasse continues, Lebanese Christians are becoming increasingly frustrated with what they see as an unprecedented threat to their political influence. "It is the first time in the history of Lebanon that Christians feel so demoralized," said Elie Haddad, Greek Catholic Archbishop of Saida and Deir el-Kamar. "I have never seen such despondency, even during the civil war."

Rana Fil, Newsweek Web, Dec 11, 2007

A global network of evangelicals is urging its members to pray for Christians in Lebanon who are facing a “perilous time” as fighting continues between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants.

by Derick Ho, Christian Today, July 16, 2007

Amid continuing strife in their areas, Baptists in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip requested prayers from their brothers and sisters around the world Feb. 13.

Nabil Costa, director of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, sent an e-mail alert titled "Pray for Lebanon!" to colleagues and supporters.

"This is a critical time for Lebanon!" he wrote, referring to two bus explosions that killed at least 11 Lebanese early Feb. 13. The explosions took place in a majority-Christian area near Beirut.

By Robert Marus, Associated Baptist Press, Feb 13, 2007

Maronite Catholics attacked a newly-built, independent Baptist church near Beirut this month, mauling churchgoers preparing to host war refugees from southern Lebanon.

The violence flared up after of several weeks of tense public debate between Maronite and Baptist clergy. More than 20 men from Ajaltoun village attacked Christ Bible Baptist Church on August 2, slashing car tires, breaking the church door and windows, stealing computer and sound equipment, beating men and groping several women.

Compass Direct, Aug 22, 2006

As international negotiations to end the war in Lebanon proceeded slowly, Lebanese Baptist leaders questioned whether two Baptist schools?now housing hundreds of refugees displaced by the conflict?will be able to begin the academic year on time.

By Robert Marus, Associated Baptist Press, Aug 11, 2006

For weeks, Lebanese Baptists and other Christians have been housing, feeding - and loving - hundreds of mostly Shiite Muslim families driven from their homes in Beirut?s southern suburbs and towns farther south by the battles between Hezbollah guerrillas and the Israeli military.

During normal times, the two groups might never encounter one another, much less form friendships, in Lebanon?s uneasy mix of religious and ethnic factions. But these aren?t normal times.

Erich Bridge, Baptist Press, Aug 3, 2006

War and cruise ships, military helicopters and charter planes, cars and buses: for foreigners, everything is good just to get out of Beirut. But not everyone can leave. For Filipinos and displaced Lebanese, monasteries, religious houses and schools are opening their doors regardless of religion.

At a special chapter of Mariamite Maronite Order presided by its superior, Abbot Seman Abou Abdo, with his fellow leaders, the issue was at the top of the agenda. They studied the situation of the Mariamites in light of the orientation laid down by the patriarchal synod.

Aisa News, July 17, 2006

In the hopes of bringing about a positive transformation in the interactions between Christians and Muslims worldwide, the Arab Baptist School for Theological Studies (ABTS) has launched the Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES), the first institute of its kind in Lebanon.

By Jessy Chahine, Daily Star staff, Tuesday, June 28, 2005

At this critical and very sensitive time with the assassination of former President Rafik al-Hariri

Baptist leaders in Lebanon there ask for prayer that the situation will not deteriorate into civil war. They also request prayer for the recovery of the Deputy Member of Parliament and former Minister of the Economy, Dr. Basil Fleihan, sole representative of the Protestant Church in the Lebanese Parliament.

Severely injured in the attack that killed Hariri on Monday, Fleihan is now in France for medical care.

Baptist World Alliance Website, Feb 16, 2005