Beloved Syrian Pastor Martyred with Family Amid Fierce Clashes in Suweida; Lebanese Church Calls for Global Prayer
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – A devastating plea for prayer has emerged from Lebanon as Pastor Chady El Aouad of Abundant Life Church in Beirut confirmed the martyrdom of a fellow minister and over 20 of his family members amid the violent upheaval in Suweida, Syria. Pastor Khaled Mezhir, leader of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Church in Suweida, was reportedly killed along with his wife, parents, and extended family during fierce fighting between Druze militias and Sunni Bedouin factions in the war-torn southern province.
“For nearly a week now, fierce fighting has raged,” Pastor Chady wrote in a WhatsApp message circulated among Christian leaders in the region. “Over a thousand precious souls have perished, and countless others are wounded or taken captive.”
Pastor Khaled, a former Druze who boldly converted to Christianity, had become a beacon of light in the spiritually dark region. He remained in Suweida despite growing hostility toward believers, proclaiming the Gospel and shepherding a small but vibrant congregation of evangelical Christians. According to Pastor Chady, the Suweida church is now scattered, its members missing, cut off from food, water, electricity, and communication despite claims of a ceasefire by the new regime in Damascus.
“This man of God stood firm amid persecution,” Pastor Chady said in a WhatsApp message shared with regional partners. “His life was a testimony to the transforming power of the Gospel. Now he and his family rest in glory, but the church in Suweida suffers greatly.”
Chady El Aouad is a prominent evangelical leader in Lebanon known for his outreach to the Arab world through Abundant Life Church in Beirut. Having planted churches and led evangelistic movements throughout the Levant, Pastor Chady has long been a bridge between Lebanon’s Christian communities and the persecuted believers across Syria. His ministry has supported numerous underground churches since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.
In his urgent appeal, Pastor Chady called for a global intercession effort, asking Christians around the world to pray for the surviving flock in Suweida. Specific prayer points included strength for the church, provision of basic needs, protection for displaced believers, and the wisdom to offer help through trusted networks.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” he concluded, quoting Psalm 34:18. “Let us cry out as one Body for mercy and deliverance over Suweida.”
The violence in Suweida has escalated dramatically in recent days, with civilian casualties mounting amid accusations of atrocities by regime-aligned forces and rival tribal factions. The death of Pastor Khaled and his family underscores the severe risks Christians face in the crossfire of Syria’s multi-faceted conflict.
International ministries and humanitarian groups are now working to verify conditions on the ground and determine pathways to assist the remaining Christian community in southern Syria. Pastor Chady’s network has requested urgent logistical and financial support to deliver aid and assist in any potential evacuation efforts.
For believers in Lebanon and beyond, the legacy of Pastor Khaled is both sobering and inspiring–a call to stand in prayer and solidarity with those who suffer for their faith.
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