Being a pastor in the Middle East is in itself a courageous decision — doing so as a woman requires extraordinary faith and perseverance. Najla Kassab, the first female president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, has spent decades serving in a region scarred by war, persecution, and mass migration. Her story is one of calling, faith, and the power of communities to endure.
What do we know about Syria? We might recall the great, ancient empires or Paul’s journey to Damascus, but also the constant state of war, brutal massacres, or church destructions. In this country, often referred to as the birthplace of Christianity, the community of Christian believers hold on – deeply wounded by spiritual and physical losses, yet still standing. But does hope in God endures even when there is nothing more to lose? In our article, we catch a glimpse of the Syrian Christians’ life through the portrait of Pamela Shammas.
“We call upon our Reformed Christian brothers and sisters in Hungary to join us in steadfast prayer for our Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East and the Holy Land. Together, let us ask our Almighty God to bring comfort to those who mourn and suffer,” reads the statement of the Presidency of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary on the second anniversary of the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.