DARAMSUQ: Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ephrem II receives Evangelical Church synodal delegation, inspects Maroutha project

DARAMSUQ (DAMASCUS), Syria – The Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East Mor Ignatius Ephrem II received a delegation from the Evangelical Church in Syria at the patriarchal residence in Bab Touma, Daramsuq.

The Evangelical delegation included the head of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon pastor Joseph Kassab and his deputy pastor Samuel Hanna. Also present were the Evangelical pastors of Daramsuq, Boutros Zaour, and Holob (Aleppo) Ibrahim Naseer. ‎They were received by Patriarch Mor Ephrem II, Patriarchal Vicar for Daramsuq bishop Cyril Babi, and bishop Yawsef Bali, Patriarchal Secretary and director of the patriarchal media and information department.

Mor Ephrem II and the Evangelical Synod delegation discussed the most important developments in the Middle East in general and Syria in particular.

Both churches are members of the Middle East Council of Churches – of which the Syriac Ancient Church of the East and the Syriac Holy Apostolic Assyrian Church of the East are not – and worry a lot about the situation of the various oriental churches in the face of political and economic hardships affecting all aspects of human life of their faithful in the Middle East, and search and cooperate on ways of helping churches to keep their flock in their homelands and help them overcome the hardships through church development programs and projects.

In related context; Patriarch Mor Ephrem II visited the Maroutha project and inspected the lands on which a new church and church-run medical center will be built.