Church in Lebanon is ‘still standing’

The church in Lebanon is “under pressure, but is still standing”, with ongoing conflict across the Middle East bringing difficulties but also gospel opportunities, according to a source in Lebanon.

The source, a Release International partner, told en of how the nation continues to live through a “very fragile and uncertain moment,” with ceasefire discussions ongoing between warring parties. Families still face the “severe” humanitarian impact which has seen over a million displaced, while fighting is fierce around Beirut and parts of the Bekaa Valley.

Wishing to remain anonymous for security reasons, the partner spoke of how the church “is suffering under the same national pressure as everyone else”, leaving many believers “exhausted” while trying to care for church members and displaced families with few resources. However, they continue to serve where possible, benefitting from the fact that persecution towards them has generally not increased across the nation, except for some “minor tensions” in some areas.