The Middle East Council of Churches Mourns Reverend Dr. Salim Sahyouni
The Middle East Council of Churches mourns Rev. Dr. Salim Sahyouni, who passed on to be with the Lord at the age of 90. He spent his years dedicated to working in God’s name and the Ecumenical work. It was stated in the letter of condolence the Secretary General of the Council Dr. Michel Abs addressed to the President of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon Rev. Joseph Kassab the following:
“Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, risen from the dead,
‘Where I am, there also will my servant be’ (John 12:26)
With great sadness and sorrow, we received the news of the passing of Rev. Dr. Salim Sahyouni to the arms of the Heavenly Father!
The Middle East Council of Churches will always remember him as an example of the honest, sincere, and dedicated President he was in his Ecumenical work.
He will be especially missed by the General Secretariat family in Beirut, who collected with him memories of visits and tours of Ecumenical service during his journey as President of the Evangelical family in the Council and member of the Executive Committee, along with other committees in the Council.
I extend, on my behalf and on behalf of the Middle East Council of Churches, my deepest condolences to you, Reverend, to the eminent Priests of the Evangelical Church in Lebanon and Syria, and to his family, praying for the Lord Jesus, who redeemed us with His death, to bless him with His resurrection and welcome him in His heaven.
May his soul rest in the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is risen.”
A few words about the deceased:
The late Rev. Dr. Salim Sahyouni held the position of President of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, and was also named Honorary President of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon.
Rev. Dr. Sahyouni received his Ph.D. from Mc Cormick Theology Seminary in Chicago and was awarded the Presidential Medal in Lebanon as recognition for his national contributions.
Rev. Dr. Sahyouni assumed many responsibilities in the Church. He was a pastor of four local evangelical Churches and was active in many religious organizations, namely the Middle East Council of Churches, where he was named President of the Evangelical family in the Council for many years and remained an active member of its executive committee. He retired from the position of General Secretary of the Synod in 1995, devoting all his time to the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community of which he became President in 1983.
Rev. Dr. Sahyouni was known to having set a milestone in Ecumenical relations, as he sought throughout his service to bring Churches closer to work together, especially by motivating them to join the Middle East Council of Churches. Apart from his Ecumenical work, he dedicated all his efforts in serving people and preserving their dignity.
The funeral ceremony of the deceased will be held on Wednesday December 8, at 11:00 am, in the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Rabieh, he will then be buried in the family cemetery in Sidon.