Members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) and several Syrian and Lebanese Christian organizations met this week to formulate a new partnership for missions.

The Syria-Lebanon Mission Network was inaugurated this week during a meeting at the Presbyterian Center between over 20 U.S. Presbyterians and a six-person delegation comprised of representatives from organizations such as the National Evangelical Synod of Syria, the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, and others.

"This network will strengthen the bond between our two churches," the Rev. George Mourad, moderator of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, told the Presbyterian News Service. "So far we have engaged the leaders but we want grassroots participation both ways."

 "Our main expectation is to strengthen our relationship with the PC(USA) at all levels, leadership and congregations," said Mary Mikhael, president of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut. "We feel organically connected to the PC(USA) - we want to be purposeful about it and be in solidarity in every possible way."

Elder Fadi Dagher commented that the new network, "will create the road map for our relationship. We are the daughter of the PC(USA)…but we have to understand each other more. We have coordinators and liaisons, but we need fraternal workers and missionaries and congregations involved so we can learn more from each other."

Members of the delegation also commented on the network's potential to aid world mission.

"There must be a conviction from local churches that they are agents of peace," said the Rev. Salim Sahiouny, president of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon. "By doing this they will support PC(USA) World Mission to support the church in the Middle East and elsewhere. Presbyterian World Mission is very important to us."

"In both Lebanon and the U.S. we must ask if the church is still serious about spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ," Saihouny said. "With budget cuts, reduced personnel, less money to central offices - we are afraid all this is deviating us from spreading the gospel, is a retreat from our calling."