The National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL), also known as Synod SL (of Syria and Lebanon), is a Reformed denomination in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
. It is a federation of Arabic-speaking congregations, that trace back their origin to the
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
revival in the 19th century. These churches adopted Reformed theology and
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
church government. This Reformed revival was supported by many Reformed churches in the United States. The Ottoman authorities recognised the
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
faith in 1848, the first congregations were founded in
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
,
Hasbaya
Hasbeya or Hasbeiya ( ar, حاصبيا) is a town in Lebanon, situated at the foot of Mount Hermon, overlooking a deep amphitheatre from which a brook flows to the Hasbani. In 1911, the population was about 5000.
Hasbaya is the capital of the Wa ...
. Later congregations were established in the major cities. The Synod was organised in 1920 with several Presbyteries. There has been a steady growth in new members in recent years.
The church supports and runs over 20 schools and kindergartens. In 2004 it had 8,000 members and about 60 congregations.
The Evangelical Synod in the Middle East is a member of the
World Communion of Reformed Churches
The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Calvinist churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations in 108 countries, together claiming an estimated 80 million people, thus being the fourth-largest Chris ...
, the
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...
and the Middle East Council of Churches.
The president of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon is Reverend Doctor
Salim Sahyouni
Reverend Doctor Salim Sahyouni (in Arabic سليم صهيوني) is a Protestant Evangelical Reverend Minister and presently the head of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and LebanonNational Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Latakia
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Malkiyeh
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Quameshli
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Hasakeh
* The National Evangelical Church in Aleppo
* The National Evangelical Church in Edleb
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Ghassaniyeh
* The National Evangelical Church in Hamah
* The National Evangelical Church in Mhardeh
* The National Evangelical Church in Homs
* The National Evangelical Church in Feiruzi
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Hafar
* The National Evangelical Church in Amar Al Hoson
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Yazdiyeh
* The National Evangelical Church in Banias
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Gnaimiyeh
* The National Evangelical Church in Damascus
* The National Evangelical Church in Kharaba
* The National Evangelical Church in Ain Al Chaara
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Nabaq
Lebanon
* The National Evangelical Church in Minyarah
* The National Evangelical Church in Tripoli
* The National Evangelical Church in Hakour
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Rabieh
* The National Evangelical Church in Ras Beirut
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Mrouj
* The National Evangelical Church in Souk Al Ghareb
* The National Evangelical Church in Ain Zhalta
* The National Evangelical Church in Zahleh
* The National Evangelical Church in Kab Elias
* The National Evangelical Church in Kherbet Kanafar
* The National Evangelical Church in Saghbin
* The National Evangelical Church in Al Jmailiye
* The National Evangelical Church in Majdalona
* The National Evangelical Church in Sidon
* The National Evangelical Church in Darb EL Sim
* The National Evangelical Church in Der Mimas
* The National Evangelical Church in Marjaaoun
* The National Evangelical Church in Ebel El Saki
* The National Evangelical Church in Aalma EL Chaab