wfn.org | IRAQ PARTNERSHIP NETWORK GROUP VISITS SYRIA

[mecc <mecc@cyberia.net.lb>]

The Iraq Partnership Network of the Presbyterian Church of USA held its
first consultation in Seidnaya ­ Syria at St. Christphoros Conference Cente r
(6 -12 October). The group was composed of twenty two American Presbyterian s
and eighteen Iraqi Presbyterians who traveled by road to Syria. The goal of
this gathering was to foster relationships between American and Iraqi
congregations while also providing advocacy, peacemaking, refugee assistanc e
and financial aid for the Iraqi congregations. The encounter was organized
by Marilyn Borst, director of Global Ministry for Peachtree Presbyterian
Church in Atlanta and Rev. Nuhad Tomeh, PC (USA) regional liaison for Syria ,
Lebanon, Iraq and the Gulf, with assistance from a new ecumenical
organization known as the Iraq Partnership Network. The Iraq Partnership
Network started last year in an effort to provide badly needed assistance t o
the Iraqi Presbyterian churches. Although the vast majority of the network¹ s
sixty or so members belong to PC (USA) congregations, the network also
includes representation from the Reformed Churches of America and the Unite d
Church of Christ. On the second day of the consultation the leadership of
the Synod of Syria and Lebanon including the newly elected General
Secretary, the Rev Fadi Dagher met with the delegations and talked about
ways that they can be of support and solidarity with the Iraqi churches. Mr .
Samer Laham in Damascus and Mr Razek Siriani in Aleppo, coordinators of the
MECC Ecumenical Relief Service program talked to the group about the work
among the Iraqi refugees in Syria and the related activities program
implemented by MECC.
For more information if interested visit: www.pcusa.org/pcnews
<http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews

>Middle East Council of Churches
>Office of International Ecumenical Relations
>P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon

Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary

mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb

>+961-1-353-938
>http://www.mec-churches.org/