9/21/2024 Syria (International Christian Concern) — Although the Syrian war has faded from the headlines after 13 years, the conflict continues — and a smaller yet more committed church remains.

While many people may have forgotten about the conflict, a U.N. commission recently stated that the war is intensifying as war crimes and fears of a larger regional conflict mount. 

Although the Christian population in Syria has dwindled, those who remain are insistent on seeing God’s kingdom advance in their homeland. At the start of the conflict, Syria was solidly 8% Christian. Today, only 2% remain.  

“Even if the churches and houses were rebuilt, Christians won’t be coming back,” a Christian in Syria recently told Le Monde. “The older generation has died out, and the younger ones have rebuilt their lives elsewhere. Most of them have sold their homes. Some have kept them. They came to see what state they were in after the city was liberated on September 15, 2017. And since then, they’ve been considering.”  

During the war, International Christian Concern (ICC) staffers have witnessed the flourishing of the remaining church in Syria amid the war. The church may be small, but it is vibrant and determined. ICC has invested in training for priests, offering a chance for them to encourage one another while learning more about the Bible.  

“Thanks to God that you are here, so we are learning new things to be able to help our parishes and stand next to our brothers and sisters,” a priest shared. The world may have moved on to the latest global conflict, but the global church stands in support of our Syrian brothers and sisters in Christ. 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email [email protected].