Thirst for More: When the Rules of the Kingdom Overcome the Rules of the World
Ministers from different parts of the world gathered to reflect on what it truly means to live out peace within ministry and the Church at a recent training on interpersonal reconciliation.
In partnership with ABTS, CBM invited twenty-one Baptist pastors and ministers to participate in the consultation during the Middle East Consultation at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen relationships with the Union of Baptist Churches in the neighbouring countries and to walk alongside church leaders serving in challenging contexts.
Throughout the training, conversations with the pastors revealed how deeply meaningful the experience had been for them. Many shared that, for the first time in years, they began to believe that differences and misunderstandings could actually be resolved. In the past, relationships between churches were often marked by suspicion and fear. Pastors felt pressured to protect their congregations not only from outside influences but also from one another.
One pastor explained that years of living under a restrictive political system had shaped how people related to each other. Trust was scarce, and even among Christians, caution and distance became survival strategies. While this reality was known, hearing how deeply it affected relationships within the Church was sobering.
Yet the most powerful outcome of the training was not the pain that surfaced, but the hope that emerged. The sessions on reconciliation opened new ways of thinking and relating. One participant shared that the training helped them see peace as something to be practiced intentionally, both with neighbours and within local churches. They expressed a strong desire to continue learning how to live out reconciliation among sister churches in the Middle East and beyond.
These reflections were deeply encouraging. The openness and hunger for change, especially among key leaders, offered reassurance that this journey is bearing fruit. What is growing is more than a partnership. It is a renewed sense of brotherhood in Christ.
This brotherhood is rooted in faith, shaped by the values of God’s Kingdom, and offered as a witness of hope in a divided world. It is a reminder of the privilege of serving a gracious God who restores what has been broken and brings light through lives willing to be shaped by his peace.
