IME partners with a church network in the region to strengthen and empower local believers. During the recent 2025 attacks on Syrian Druze villages, thousands of families were in crisis. Through IME’s network involving displaced Druze families and a church in the US, partners in Lebanon and Syria, food aid and care reached dozens of displaced families, opening doors for continued relationships and witness in communities previously unreached by the gospel.
Understanding the People of Syria
Population Total: 25,318,000
Languages: Levantine and Mesopotamian Arabic, Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic
Number of People Groups: 39
Unreached population: 53%
Christian: 5.4%
God is at Work in syria: 2024 stats
Number of Leaders Trained: 180
Number of New Believers: 88
Communities of Faith: 245
Understanding the Context of syria
General Country Information
Syria, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited lands, has long stood at the crossroads of civilization, faith, and culture. From the bustling streets of Damascus to the ancient ruins of Bosra, its landscapes bear witness to millennia of history. Despite years of war, displacement, and hardship, Syrian communities continue to rebuild their lives with courage and resilience. Amid its diverse population—Arab, Kurdish, Druze, and others—the spirit of perseverance and faith endures, reminding the world that life and hope persist even in places deeply scarred by conflict.
Spiritual Context
Today, Christian communities in Syria remain small and many have dispersed and emigrated elsewhere. IME partners with a church network in the region to strengthen local believers who have returned home after years of displacement—to form house churches and share their faith in quiet yet powerful ways. In the midst of ongoing instability, these believers embody the gospel through acts of compassion.
Biblical Heritage
Syria’s soil is rich with biblical memory. In Damascus, the story of Saul’s conversion on Straight Street and his baptism in the Ananias Chapel mark the city as a cornerstone of early Christian history. The Umayyad Mosque, once a Christian cathedral said to house the relic of John the Baptist, testifies to the region’s layered spiritual heritage. North of the capital, the villages of Maaloula and Saydnaya preserve ancient Christian traditions—and even the Aramaic language spoken by Jesus. Further afield, the ruins of the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites, the monasteries of Saint Moses the Abyssinian and Um al-Zenar, and the city of Bosra all speak of a time when Syria was a center of early Christian faith. Together, these sacred sites continue to inspire believers to remember their biblical roots and to carry forward a living faith amid the land where Paul first encountered Christ.
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Standing Room Only
*Featured image by Saad Salim on Unsplash