NESSL Financial Appeal October 2026
NESSL Appeal to Support Rebuilding of the Church & Pastor's Residence in Ghassaniyah, SyrIa
Imagine living in forced exile from your town for 12 years or more with no possibility of returning home during that forced displacement, with no worship in your beloved community of faith and with family roots severely disrupted by war. This is the reality for 500 families in the Christian village of Ghassaniyah in Idlib province in northwest Syria. Now, after this exile, these Christian families have the joyful opportunity to rebuild their lives in their hometown, with help from European and Christian partners like the Syria Lebanon Partnership Network.
Please read the appeal below from Reverend Joseph Kassab, the General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL). If you feel called to give, instructions for donating follow the appeal from the Synod.
Dear Partners in Christ:
After years of forcible Islamist occupation, the current Syrian authorities finally returned a Christian village to its people.
At this link you can view a video showing the celebration as the three Christian faith communities enter the village after 12 years in exile. In the video, the Moderator of NESSL, the Greek Orthodox Bishop, and the Latin Bishop march with the people and pray together.
Ghassaniyah is a Syrian Christian village in Idlib Governorate, northwestern Syria. Before the war, it was a quiet rural village. The village was known for its diverse Christian social fabric, with several traditions reflecting a long history of coexistence and openness.
Before the war, the village had around 500 families and included three main Christian denominations:
Presbyterians (NESSL affiliated)
Catholics (Latin Rite)
Orthodox (Greek Orthodox)
This diversity played an essential role in shaping the village’s faith identity, grounded in coexistence and cooperation among all residents.
With the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011 and the entry of radical Islamist armed groups on 3/10/2012, Ghassaniyah witnessed severe waves of military operations that led to: Extensive damage to the three Churches and infrastructure
The destruction of a large number of houses
Homes and buildings have been occupied by Turkistani and Uyghur Islamist fighters and their families
As security conditions deteriorated, the majority of the village’s residents were displaced to other Syrian governorates such as Latakia, Aleppo, and Damascus. Several of the village’s young men and women were forced to seek safety and work abroad, migrating to European countries. This has fragmented much of the village’s social fabric, and both small and large families have been severely affected.
Armed Islamist groups attacked the Latin monastery, killed Father Francois Murad, threatened the nuns living there, and finally forced them to leave along with the five families who had refused to depart. However, after Father Francois Murad was killed, everyone who had tried to remain in the village left, and thus no Christians were able to stay.
To make things worse, radical foreigners and Islamist groups transferred their families to occupy the village. Foreign families among the household fighters were Turkistanis and Uyghurs. They looted the homes, destroyed Christian symbols in churches, smashed saints’ statues, burned Bibles and church records, and spread destruction everywhere.
Unfortunately, the village's return to its people has not been accompanied by any government support for reconstruction or compensation for their 13 years of displacement. This leaves these impoverished families stranded in their places of displacement, bearing severe financial and psychological pressures in areas of forced exile away from their homes.
Humanitarian and Social Situation
The above situation leaves the return of the residents solely the responsibility of the churches, insofar as the new government is unable to resolve any of the crisis, considering the hundreds of thousands of homes left destroyed by the war in Syria.
As in many previous instances of returning Christians to their homes, whether in Syria and Lebanon, each church will encourage people to return and resettle in the village, beginning with the restoration of churches and extending to the repair of homes. It is the Christian psyche in the Middle East.
Accordingly, the National Evangelical Synod in Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), through its competent committees, sent engineers to assess the damage to the Church sanctuary and its facilities (pastor’s house and activities hall). We have prepared a detailed financial and narrative report on the project cost of $171,310. If you would like a copy of this report, send an email to communications@syrialebanonpn.org
Al-Ghassaniyah stands as a painful example of the suffering endured by small villages that paid the price of war in all its human and social dimensions. Despite displacement and destruction, the people of Ghassaniyah retain a deep connection to their land and their faith and social heritage. Many still hope for the day they can return to their village, rebuild what was destroyed, and restore their everyday lives.
Our partners in Christ have been with us through dark days of the Syrian war. Today, we appeal to you to continue your partnership with us as we reactivate our ministry in this village, along with other Christian churches in the village. NESSL is committed to providing an independent audit report and photos of the project's completion.
With best Christian regards and gratitude,
Reverend Joseph Kassab
General Secretary, National Evangelical Synod of Syria-Lebanon
How to Donate
Donations are collected by our fiscal sponsor, Des Moines Presbytery.
By check: Make your check out to Des Moines Presbytery with “SLPN Synod Appeal” in the memo line, to help the Presbytery’s administrator know the donation is for this appeal. Mail the check to: Presbytery of Des Moines, 1864 Hwy 86, Milford, IA 51351
Online: Donate online at the Des Moines Presbytery website, using a credit or debit card or PayPal. Click here to be directed to the online donations page. In the “Note” box, type “SLPN Synod Appeal” to alert the Presbytery’s administrator the donation is for this appeal.