Christmas Eve 2018
Christmas Eve joint service on Dec. 24, 2018: Rev. Habib Badr, Rev. Rima Nasrallah & Rev. Nabil Mamarbashi. The Sunday School also shared the Christmas story with people on Sunday 23rd of Dec., 2018.
And a delegation of officials from the National Free Movement (Al Tayyar Al Watani Al Hurr), representing Beirut electoral districts I and II, headed by deputy and minister Nicolas Sehnaoui, visited the Beirut Evangelical Pastors at the Charles Saad Hall at NECB on Dec. 25, 2018. They were received by Rev Badr accompanied by Rev. Dr. Edgar Trabulsi (the protestant deputy in Beirut) as well as Revs. Joy Mallouh and Fadi Dagher. The visitors were also joined by the president of Beirut Municipal Council Mr. Jamal Itani, and Mr. Joseph Trabulsi (protestant representative on the Municipal Council) as well as several other members of the Tayyar and the Municipality. The visitors offered their Christmas greetings and discussed current relevant local issues.
New Building for the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Churches in Syria and Lebanon
On Saturday, January 12, 2019 the new building of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Churches in Syria and Lebanon was inaugurated. On the behalf of Rev. Dr. Salim Sahyouni, president of the Supreme Council, Rev. Habib Badr, member of the Executive Committee of the Supreme Council and head of the Construction Committee, welcomed all bishops, Reverends, and distinguished guests, in particular the representative of the Lebanese President General Michel Aoun, Minister Nicola Tueni and the Evangelical MP Dr. Edgard Trabolsi.
The Evangelical community exists in Lebanon and Syria from the beginning of the 19th century, and the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Communities in Syria and Lebanon was founded in December 14, 1937. This headquarter of the Supreme Council, said Rev. Badr, "was and will be a home for all Evangelical communities .. in Lebanon and Syrian and of those who love God". "It is a house for those who witness to human justice and peace.. whether they are Muslims or Christians", he continued. "Evangelical community has been and will remain faithful to its heritage and identity to be open to all human beings, serving them in various ways: spiritual, intellectual, cultural, educational, and social. These services are provided to all without distinction between race, religion, sex or language. This is our identity and this is our history", said Rev. Badr. And at the end, Rev. Badr thanked all, one by one, who helped and worked to make this moment possible, in particular, Carmel Mission in Germany (Evangelische Karmelmission). And to God be the glory.
New President for the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon
On the 18th of January 2019, Rev. Joseph Kassab was appointed as a new president of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Churches in Syria and Lebanon. 49 members representing all Evangelical communities in Syria and Lebanon (17 denominations) with Rev. Dr. Salim Sahyouni, the previous president of the Supreme Council (since 1983), gathered at Rabeih - Mten, Lebanon, and assigned Rev. Kassab by uncontested election to be the 5th president of the Supreme Council. Rev. Kassab is married to Rev. Najla Abou Souwan and has three children and is from the National Evangelical Synod church. We congratulate him in his new position, and we pray for him and for all Evangelical churches to continue to be as a blessing tools for God's glory.
The General Assembly elected also
Rev. Samouel Hanna as vice president (National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon - NESSL)
Rev. Megerdich Karageozian as secretary (Armenian Evangelical Churches in Near East - AECNE)
Rev. Milad Dagher as treasurer (National Evangelical Christian Alliance Church In Syria and Lebanon)
Rev. Samuel Kharrat as rapporteur (Convention of the Evangelical Baptist Churches in Lebanon)
Legal adviser Mr. Fawzi Dagher (NESSL)
Members of the Executive Committee: Rev. Dr. Habib Badr (National Evangelical Church of Beirut), Rev. Edgard Traboulsi (MP, Evangelical Biblical Churches of Lebanon and Syria), Rev. Emad Zarob (Episcopal Church in Beirut), Rev. Levon Maksoudian (Seventh-Day Adventist Church), Rev. Andreo Salameh (Church of the Nazarene in Lebanon), Rev. Fouad El-Masri, Rev. Ibrahim Neser (NESSL), Rev. Salim Sabounji (AECNE).
Middle East Council of Churches: Justice Will Prevail
On the 22nd and 23rd of January, 2019, Rev. Habib Badr, Patr. Sako of the Chaldean Church, Patr. Afram of the Syrian Orthodox Church and Bishop Nicholaos of the Greek Orthodox Church presided over the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) hosted by Patr. Afram at Atshaneh Monastery in Matn district, Lebanon.
The theme was taken from Deuteronomy 16:18-20,
"They shall judge the people with just judgment".
