Dear Friends,

We have been painfully following events in Syria for more than two years now. More than a hundred thousand people have lost their lives. Communities and properties have been destroyed. To add to this miserable litany, reports of the deadly chemical weapons attacks on August 21 in which the victims included children are simply sickening. The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) deplores any form of violence and especially the violence of these attacks and do not condone them in any way.

The WCRC is aware of the current moves towards military response to these attacks and calls for restraint. However heinous the chemical attacks are, military response is not the answer. Every effort needs to be made to increase opportunities for bringing all factions to dialogue and seek diplomatic solutions. Military response can only serve to increase the suffering of the peoples of Syria who have already suffered so much.

We call on our Member Churches to spend this coming week-end (September 7 and 8) in prayer for the peoples of Syria. We also pray for world leaders that they may use their power to work tirelessly to find life-giving solutions that will end the crisis.

May God bless you,

Setri Nyomi (Rev. Dr.)
WCRC General Secretary