International Mission Board personnel in the Middle East urged Southern Baptists to pray for peace in Lebanon, Israel and the entire region as it plunges closer to full-scale warfare.
“We’re not here to take sides,” said John Brady, who leads Southern Baptist work in Northern Africa and the Middle East. “Our tasks are to pray and minister in the name of Jesus Christ, so one day the people of these troubled lands will know the Prince of Peace.”
Currently, all Southern Baptist workers in the region are accounted for and safe, he said.
Cross-border attacks continue to escalate between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Israeli warplanes have launched numerous attacks on Lebanon’s eastern and southern areas. Hezbollah has fired more than 1,000 rockets into northern Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to battle Hamas-led Palestinian fighters in Gaza on Israel’s southwestern coast.
“The news gets worse each day as this conflict deepens,” Brady said. “We’re asking Southern Baptists to please take a moment to pray after any news update. Please pray for the peoples of this region. – Each bit of news should be a nudge to a personal call to prayer.”