Christ Is Building His Church

Our students are serving in Lebanon, Syria, and across the Arab world. Not all are affected by the same crises, but many are ministering amid economic pressure, uncertainty, displacement, social tension, pastoral weariness, and deep spiritual need.

In that light, the work of theological education feels less like an institutional project and more like a small participation in what God is already doing. We have the privilege of walking alongside men and women whom the Lord has called to serve his people. Many are not preparing for ministry in the abstract; they are already shepherding churches, discipling young believers, encouraging the discouraged, and bearing witness to Christ in difficult places.

What encourages me most is seeing how God is uses Scripture, prayer, community, mentoring, and theological reflection to strengthen his servants. The classroom, the chapel, the mentoring conversation, and the ministry assignment all become places where God forms deeper faith, greater humility, and renewed courage.

So, while the needs around us remain great, our hope is not in our own strength or plans. Our confidence is that the Lord of the harvest is still raising up workers for his harvest field.

On a personal level, this has been a full and demanding season. I often feel the weight of leadership, transition, travel, and the many needs surrounding the seminary and the region. There are days when the complexity of the task feels heavy, and I am learning again that faithfulness depends not on personal capacity, but on daily dependence on God's grace.

At the same time, I am grateful for the Lord's kindness through ordinary gifts. Sophie and the children remain a deep source of joy, grounding, and encouragement. Family life reminds me that God often forms us not only through public ministry, but through patience, presence, prayer, and love at home. Please pray that I would lead with wisdom, humility, and trust, and that our family would know the Lord's sustaining peace in this season.

One of the quiet signs of impact is the perseverance of students who continue to study while already carrying real ministry responsibilities. Some are serving churches in fragile communities. Others are discipling believers, caring for families, or encouraging people who are weary. Their growth is not measured only by completed assignments, but by the way God is shaping them through his Word for faithful service.

In many cases, theological learning is immediately connected to pastoral reality. Students are not simply asking, “What does this mean?” but “How do I help God's people remain faithful, hopeful, and rooted in Christ?”

I continue to be challenged by the quiet faithfulness of local leaders and students. Many serve without visibility, comfort, or certainty. They may not describe themselves as courageous, yet they keep praying, teaching, visiting, listening, and showing up for others.

Their example reminds me that Christian perseverance is often very ordinary. It is not always dramatic or public. Sometimes it looks like preparing a Bible study after a difficult week, encouraging a discouraged believer, or trusting God when circumstances remain unresolved. Through them, I am learning to see more clearly that the Lord sustains his Church through faithful servants who depend on him day by day.

Please pray for God's sustaining grace for our students and graduates serving in difficult contexts across the Arab world. Pray for wisdom and humility as we walk alongside them, for strength and peace for my family in this demanding season, and for Christ to continue building his Church through faithful servants.

In Christ,

Wissam