Karak Governorate, Jordan — World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Secretary General Rev. Botrus Mansour visited the village of Hmoud in Jordan’s Karak Governorate to stand in solidarity with the families affected by a terrorist attack that killed nine Jordanian Christians attending a church funeral.
At the Martyrs’ Cemetery, Mansour laid a wreath in the presence of:
- Rev. Dr. Nabih Abbasi, Ambassador of the Baptist World Alliance in the Middle East and President of the Baptist Convention in Jordan
- Rev. Dr. Jack Sara, President of Bethlehem Bible College and General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance in the Middle East and North Africa
Jordanian church leaders also joined the delegation, including Rev. David Rihani, head of the Jordanian Assemblies of God Church, and Rev. Rami Hussein Halsa, pastor of the Resurrection Baptist Church in Sweileh.
Prayers for the families and for Jordan
After the wreath-laying, the delegation prayed for the families of the martyrs, for the wounded, and for Jordan’s security and stability.
The delegation then offered condolences to the family of Alaa Masarwa, who welcomed them with compassion and gratitude. In a heartfelt meeting, the delegation prayed with the bereaved family and reaffirmed its support.
“We felt it necessary to be here”
Speaking at the cemetery, Mansour said the attack “shook us to our core” and extended WEA’s condolences to the families who lost loved ones.
He said that, as Secretary General, he had already issued a statement on behalf of “the 650 million Evangelicals worldwide,” affirming solidarity and prayer. “But in addition, we felt it necessary to be here to offer our condolences in person,” he said.
Mansour described Jordan as “an oasis of tolerance and full citizenship for all its people, without any discrimination between Muslim and Christian.” He expressed relief at the response of His Majesty King Abdullah II and the Hashemite family, which he described as decisive and courageous, “not just in words, but also in deeds.”
He also highlighted the solidarity and brotherhood among Jordanians, saying, “Truly, they are valiant.”
A message of unity and resurrection hope
Mansour noted that he had come from Nazareth, the city of the Annunciation, and Sara from Jerusalem, the city of the Resurrection. He said the visit carried a message of hope grounded in Christ’s resurrection and reaffirmed Jordan as a model of harmony.
The attackers, he said, targeted not only Christians but “struck every Jordanian to the very core of their being.” The right response is to strengthen unity, reject injustice, and eliminate grievances against any group in the country.
He added that the delegation would reach out to “hundreds of millions of evangelicals” worldwide to encourage them to visit Jordan, particularly ahead of the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River.
Mansour closed with a message of resurrection hope: “The criminals thought they could kill the body and the story would end, but we tell them that the story will not end … since the Lord Jesus Christ has risen — Christ is risen.”
“Death is not the final word”
Abbasi said that standing before the martyrs’ graves brings together grief and hope. The delegation had come to honor their memory, to pray for their families, and to declare its belief that death is not the final word, because Christ rose victorious over death.
He explained that the biblical meaning of the word “martyr” is “witness.” Everyone is called to bear witness for Christ, he said, and God calls some of His children to conclude their witness by offering their lives.
Abbasi reiterated his rejection of terrorism and hatred: “From this place, we declare that terrorism will not prevail, that hatred will not defeat love, and that darkness will not extinguish the light of Christ.”
He prayed for comfort for the families and healing for the injured, and affirmed his loyalty to Jordan and its security. He called for united prayer for His Majesty King Abdullah II, the government, the security forces, and all those who work to protect the country.
