Syrian evangelicals are asking Western Christians to join them in the urgent prayer and fast of the life of a kidnapped pastor.
For security reasons, they call the priest “Jacob” (not his real name) and say the 27-year-old was kidnapped on Saturday by members of the Druze community in an area south of Damascus known as Jabal al-Druze.
According to the Syrian pastor “Daoud” (not his real name), who knows “Jacob,” the young evangelist spends most of his time sharing the love of Christ, bringing a message of hope to Druze and other Syrians across the country. “A heart dedicated to serving the Lord Jesus Christ and having a vital role in the Church in Syria.”
The Druze elders threatened to execute “Yaqub” who had a wife and a one-year-old daughter. They demanded a 4 billion (Syrian) ransom for Ya’qub’s safe return.
Rev. David explained, “If we sold the church, we wouldn’t make a lot of money to pay for his release.”
The Christians of Syria appealed to the Druze leadership to spare Ya’qub’s life.
“I say to them today, use God’s wisdom and think about what you’re doing. He is not your enemy. A Christian is not your enemy. Jesus Christ is not your enemy. We are not your enemy. We are here to love you,” Pastor David explained. “We’re here to stand with you. We feel your pain. We feel what you’re going through. But killing an innocent priest won’t solve your problem.”
