As an expression of Baptists’ continued concern for peace and stability in the Middle East, Baptist World Alliance President David Coffey recently visited two Arab leaders — Lebanon’s President Emile Lahoud and Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein.
Coffey, in his meeting with Lahoud on Sept. 20, said, “It grieves us to see this beloved country struggle … Lebanon is in our prayers today more than ever before.”
Lebanon has been affected by a series of wars and conflicts in recent times. In the summer of 2006, a monthlong war between Israel and the Islamic group Hezbollah led to widespread shelling of the southern part of the country, causing the deaths of many and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
In May of this year, fighting broke out between the Lebanese Armed Forces and Fatah al-Islam, an Islamic militant organization, which continued into early September. There has also been a series of bombings, claiming several lives.
The meeting gave Coffey the opportunity to tell Lahoud of the work the Lebanese Evangelical Baptist Church has been doing in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. He explained about the education, relief and development efforts in the 150-year history of the Baptist church in that country.
Praying for a solution
Coffey met with King Abdullah II in Jordan Sept. 23. He endorsed the views expressed by the king in his address to the United States Congress earlier this year. During that address, he challenged the international community to work together to address the Middle East problem and to strive for a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict that is not imposed by one side.
Coffey assured the king that Baptists around the world are praying for a peaceful solution. He also expressed the hope that peace in the region will become “a reality in our time.” (BWA)
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