Today, Reverend Habib Badr retired after many years of service as senior pastor of the National Evangelical Church of Beirut (NECB). During my time as ecumenical liaison officer for the Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN) and in various international bodies, he was an important advisor, companion, and friend to me.
For many years, I had the opportunity to work alongside Habib at the Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (ems) in various committees and roles—most recently on the ems Presidium, the highest governing body between synods and meetings of the Mission Council. Habib was a key pioneer in the ems’ evolution from a German mission organization into an international church fellowship, and I was happy to walk this path with him. Today, Uwe Gräbe, the ems’ liaison officer for the Middle East, represented the ems at the ceremony.
Habib is deeply convinced that no single denomination can fully represent the Christian faith in this world. Guided by this fundamental conviction, he has time and again served as a bridge-builder between denominations and cultures, between Western and Eastern Christianity – including within our international church fellowship, the ems. I have known him to be an attentive listener, and his well-considered positions have often led to lasting decisions. Through his sermons, devotions, and theological perspectives, he has always been closely attuned to people’s lives and to their concerns and hardships, joys, and hopes.
His importance to Lebanon and the entire region is evident from the roles he has held in recent years: President of the National Evangelical Union in Lebanon; President of the Middle East Council of Churches for the Evangelical Family; President of the Spiritual Court of the Evangelical Community in Lebanon; Vice President of the Association of Evangelical Churches in the Middle East. As a lecturer in Church History at the Near East School of Theology, he also taught pastors and theology students from Germany.
Over the years, a friendship has grown between us. And when the work was done, we would sometimes enjoy a good cigar and a good wine together and share our joys of discovering new jazz music. Now I wish him and his wife Wadia a peaceful retirement.
