The head of the Baptist Churches in Jordan and Ambassador of the Baptist World Alliance for the Middle East and North Africa, Rev. Dr. Nabih Abbasi, expressed his rejection of what is known as Christian Zionism, emphasizing that this trend does not represent the majority of Evangelicals and Baptists worldwide.

This came during a friendly meeting he held on Tuesday, July 7th, with Mr. Nabil Ghishan, journalist, former Member of Parliament, and current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Jordan News Agency (Petra). Petra News is the official news agency of Jordan.

Abbasi stated that Baptists in Jordan and around the world are looking forward to the success of the celebration of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s baptism at the Baptism Site on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, given the global religious and historical significance of this event.

He added that the meeting included a discussion about Baptists’ stances on regional issues, clarifying that supporters of Christian Zionism constitute a small minority and do not represent the general position of Baptist churches.

He also mentioned a recent visit to Egypt, accompanied by Rev. Dr. Elijah Brown, the General Secretary and CEO of the World Baptist Alliance, during which they met with His Holiness the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Minister of Religious Endowments, and several members of Parliament. He stated, “We all affirmed our rejection of Christian Zionism and our adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ, which are based on justice, love, and peace.”

Baptists affirmed rejection of Christian Zionism and our adherence to the teachings of” Jesus Christ, which are based on justice, love, and peace”- Rev Nabih Abbasi

The visit to Egypt was followed by a similar visit to Lebanon, where the delegation met with the Lebanese President and senior officials. In Syria, senior officials of the new government also welcomed the delegation and gave them a tour of important sites in Damascus.

The meeting in Amman with the Chair of Petra News also addressed the proposed amendments to legislation relating to wills and adoption for Christian citizens, where Abbasi stressed the importance of wills in promoting justice in the distribution of inheritance, and welcomed any legislation that would allow the adoption of a Christian child, in order to fulfill the aspirations of many Christian families within the approved legal frameworks.