Intro

Lebanon is a nation with a unique religious landscape. Unlike many Arab countries where Islam is deeply intertwined with national identity, Lebanon stands out as a country with a nominal Christian history. Religious liberty is relatively accepted here, and Christianity is legal, making it an environment where open church planting is not an impossible task. Yet, despite these advantages, Lebanon remains spiritually desolate for those seeking sound, confessional Reformed teaching.

Lebanon’s Religious Landscape

Historically, Lebanon has been dominated by Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. These traditions continue to exert significant cultural and religious influence. In recent decades, however, the scene has changed with the emergence of various Protestant groups, including fundamental independent Baptist churches, Brethren assemblies, Pentecostal movements, and semi-cultic groups.

One of the significant challenges for Protestant believers in Lebanon is the negative perception of the broader Catholic and Orthodox communities toward Protestantism. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox view Protestants as part of the same group as cultic movements—extreme, heretical sects that claim to be Christian but reject historic creeds and confessions. These groups, with their unorthodox teachings and practices, have unfortunately tarnished the image of the Protestant faith. As a result, genuine Protestants, particularly those seeking to uphold the confessional Reformed tradition, are often grouped with these errant movements. This makes the need for Reformed churches in Lebanon even more urgent. Such churches can show the world that we are the true heirs of the historic catholic faith who faithfully uphold the doctrines of the early church fathers and the ecumenical creeds, demonstrating that Reformed theology is not a break from tradition, but a return to the true, orthodox faith once delivered to the saints.

While the Protestant churches currently here may offer some semblance of Protestant witness, they lack the doctrinal depth and creedal foundations that nurture true spiritual growth. Even the “National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon,” a historically Presbyterian denomination, has embraced liberal theology and strayed far from its confessional roots.

Some might argue that there are already Calvinistic evangelicals or MacArthurite churches in Lebanon, which may seem to offer a Reformed influence. Anyone familiar with the Heidelblog, however, knows that such churches are far from the true Reformed tradition. The Reformed tradition is not merely about holding to certain doctrines like predestination or TULIP, but about embracing a comprehensive, biblically-driven theological system that shapes every aspect of the life of the church. The need for a Reformed church in Lebanon, then, is not just about introducing another evangelical congregation, but about offering a distinct approach to worship, doctrine, and church life that is deeply rooted in Scripture and the historic confessions of the faith.

In a church culture where the approach to Scripture is often literal-grammatical and tends to overlook the broader redemptive context, a Reformed church would offer redemptive-historical preaching, which sees all of Scripture as pointing to Christ and his work of salvation. Where the prevalent errors of neonomianism and antinomianism create confusion over the relationship between the law and the gospel, a Reformed church would provide a clear law-gospel distinction and the three uses of the law. Where the tendency is to reduce worship to entertainment or a concert-like experience, a Reformed church would adhere to the regulative principle of worship, ensuring that only those elements explicitly prescribed by Scripture are included in the service, making worship reverent and centered on God’s word.

In a context where the promises of God in the Old Testament are often misapplied to Israel in the millennium, a Reformed church would offer covenant theology, demonstrating that all of God’s promises find their fulfillment in Christ, and that we, the church, are the true heirs of these promises. Where the sacraments are often reduced to mere symbols, a Reformed church would teach that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are means of grace, instituted by Christ to nourish and strengthen believers in their faith. In a culture where the Son’s consubstantiality with the Father is often diminished and biblicism reigns supreme, a Reformed church would offer historical, confessional Trinitarian theology, upholding the full deity of Christ and the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity as confessed by the church throughout history. These distinctives are what would make a Reformed church in Lebanon a beacon of truth, offering a biblically faithful alternative to the many errors that currently abound.

The State of Reformed Believers

Within this fragmented religious landscape, there are around five families and many individuals in Lebanon who hold to the Reformed confessions. They are, however, scattered across various independent Baptist churches and other groups, unable to gather under a unified Reformed witness.

For these believers, the absence of a healthy church is a source of deep spiritual struggle. There is nothing worse for a Christian than being without a church that faithfully administers the means of grace. While some of us might endure and grow temporarily under a confessional 1689 Baptist or confessional Lutheran church, the reality in Lebanon is that even these options are unavailable. The churches here are predominantly independent, rejecting the creeds and confessions that anchor true doctrine, and many barely affirm even some of the five solas.

The Urgency for a Reformed Church Plant

There is an urgent need for a confessional Reformed church in Lebanon. Unlike other Arab countries, the legal and cultural environment here provides an easy opportunity for church planting. A Reformed church would serve as a beacon for scattered believers, offering spiritual nourishment through the faithful preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of church discipline.

It would also stand as a witness to the broader Christian and non-Christian community in Lebanon, demonstrating the richness of covenant theology and the centrality of Christ in all things. In a region often marked by theological confusion, legalism, and dispensationalism, a Reformed church could bring clarity and hope.

Conclusion

Lebanon’s spiritual landscape may appear bleak, but the opportunity for a Reformed witness is ripe. The few Reformed families and individuals here are longing for a church that reflects the truths of Scripture and the historic confessions of the faith. We are praying for laborers who can plant a church that would not only nurture existing believers and their children, but also reach those seeking the gospel in its fullness. As the Heidelberg Catechism teaches us, “I believe that the Son of God, through his Spirit and Word, out of the entire human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, defends, and preserves for himself a congregation chosen to everlasting life.” (HC 54). In the midst of our struggles, we can rest in the assurance that it is God, through his Spirit and Word, who is at work building his church, no matter the circumstances.

The need is urgent, but our trust remains in the Lord of the harvest. May he raise up workers to build his church in Lebanon for his glory and the advancement of his kingdom.

Soli Deo Gloria.

©Joseph Attieh. All Rights Reserved.

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Post authored by:

• Joseph Attieh

  

  Joseph Attieh is a Reformed Christian from Lebanon. He came to the Reformed faith after a journey through other theological traditions and is passionate about spreading sound doctrine in the Middle East. Currently studying business management, Joseph hopes to complete his degree and consider seminary in the future.

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