Issue 003 of 007
Alumni StoryThe Church in Syria
Meet our CAIT alumni: Pastor Gaby Batta, who stayed in Sweida when it would have been easier to leave.
Sweida, Syria
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After graduating from CAIT in 2013 with a degree in theology, Gaby moved with his wife and children to Tartous, where he served for five years before moving to Sweida in 2018.
My time at the seminary was transformational. It shaped me as a servant of the gospel, deepened my knowledge of Scripture, and prepared me for the suffering and responsibility ahead.
In Sweida, Gaby didn’t just pastor one church — he took responsibility for four congregations across southern Syria. Amid war, scarcity, and threats, he remained. Today, his ministry includes:
- students taught in theology, via extension courses
- 30
- individuals discipled through small groups
- 140
- people reached weekly with the Word of God
- 500+
- local leaders trained for ongoing ministry
- 20
In 2019, Gaby became the lead pastor in Sweida and was officially ordained in 2022. His vision? To see a church rooted in Scripture, resilient in hardship, and rich in love.
Conflict in Sweida
In July 2025, Sweida was plunged into violent conflict after the abduction of a Druze man on the Damascus–Sweida highway sparked deadly clashes between local Druze and Sunni Bedouin fighters. The violence escalated rapidly, leaving over 1,200 dead and displacing at least 176,000 people. Basic services like electricity, water, and medical care collapsed almost overnight.
In the middle of it all stood Pastor Gaby Batta’s church, serving as a spiritual refuge and a practical shelter. As gunfire echoed through the city, the church opened its doors to the wounded, the hungry, and the afraid — providing prayer, food, and counseling when few dared to stay. Despite threats and destruction, the church remained a steady light in Sweida’s darkest hour.
We at CAIT are committed to training leaders like Pastor Gaby to lead the church through Peace and War. We want our graduates to lead through the church on a strong biblical foundation.
Adapted for the web from the newsletter CAIT sent to its friends and partners. Email mechanics have been removed; the reporting is unchanged.
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Issue 007Crisis Update
The War in Lebanon
With over a million people displaced, online classes and campus students serving local churches keep theological education alive.
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