Najla Kassab: Protestant churches are essential to Middle East
“Hope can endure if we keep God first.”
Even in the midst of a terrible civil war, the Christian church in Syria is strong and committed to caring for people who have been affected by the conflict, said Najla Kassab, president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, during the Stob Lecture wrapping up this year’s Calvin University January Series.
Kassab pointed out that Calvin University, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, was where the World Communion of Reformed Churches was founded in 2010. She has been involved in its work since then and was elected president in 2017.
“This is where our journey started,” she said. “The World Communion of Reformed Churches is where 100 million members from more than 200 churches from around the world come together to speak about justice.”
As president of the WCRC, Kassab travels internationally for gatherings and speaking engagements. But at Calvin she focused her remarks on the the Reformed church in the Middle East, especially regarding Lebanon and Syria.
“There has been so much pain and loss, especially in Syria, over the past few years. The challenge of the church is to be present in the midst of that pain.”