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Seminary in Lebanon pivots to shelter hundreds of the displaced

Lebanon (MNN) — Crises can happen in a moment, but they can also drag on beyond all expectations. Yet God has sustained His people in the Middle East to be His hands and feet during years of tumult.

Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, a ministry of LSESD, is located at the edge of Beirut. ABTS used their facilities to house people who lost their homes in the 2020 port blast, and again today in the wake of mass displacement in Lebanon. (Photo courtesy of ABTS on Facebook)

Take Lebanon. It has endured decades of conflict and economic collapse. The current war no one wanted has displaced an estimated 1.3 million people. “Crisis, wars, disruptions [are] nothing new to this region. We’re used to difficulties and hardships," says Loulwa Maalouf with the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary.

"But at the same time, we are used to seeing God at work, and we are called to be here and be part of His work."

ABTS is a ministry of Thimar-LSESD. Today it not only provides biblical education to around 240 students, but it also shelters a couple hundred displaced people.  “With every crisis in Lebanon, we are used to taking a step and saying, ‘Okay, how does God want us to respond now?’” Maalouf says. This was true for the 2006 Lebanon War, the COVID-19 pandemic and the August 4 (2020) Beirut port explosion.  “This time, God used our facilities so that we can welcome those who needed a shelter from the war. We opened our guest house and academic residence to welcome families,” Maalouf says. “Some of them are church families. Some of them, they’ve never been been to a church.”
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Laundry services at ABTS's campus (Photo courtesy of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary)

The seminary provide utilities, meals, laundry services; it works with other ministries to provide youth services and more to families as well. Daily chapel services at ABTS have been opened to the community. They worship God and hear a message of encouragement.  “It takes a lot of effort because we are doing all our programs and we're also doing that but we're grateful that God is allowing us to serve Him through these guests,” she says.  ABTS is seeing that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pray with them for God to raise up more workers. Maalouf asks that you pray also for an ever-deepening love in the church for their enemies. "You can always pray for us. Not only for us, for Lebanon, for the region, for our students and our graduates and the churches in the region,” Maalouf says.  Learn more about ABTS here.      Header photo of children at ABTS guesthouse campus courtesy of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary.