Dhour Choueir Evangelical Center is a conference center of 28. 000 m2 located in mountainous Area, in a small village known as Dhour Choueir, 1250 meter above the ocean level, 30 km from Beirut City. The Center was started as a school in 1874, built in the midst of a forest, and then developed as a Conference Center. It is formed of three compounds and two Lecture rooms, four cottages, Administrative building, and great Area of nature. The center was damaged during the war but was renovated in 1998, and ever since is in use by different groups. It can accommodate around 116 persons. It is a summer Resort and in winter is also heated and in use.

Vision

Dhour Choueir Evangelical Conference Center shares the love of Christ with all people and welcomes all who seek spiritual renewal and life lived abundantly.

Mission

The center strives to Support the ministry of local Churches and provide a pleasant context for Church gatherings and conferences.– Provide fellowship among Evangelicals, where the Evangelical values are lived.– Serves the surrounding community and provides Cultural and social events.– Welcomes different groups who aim towards ecumenical encounters and dialogue among religions.– Encourages people to Live in Harmony with Creation.

History

Dhour Choueir Evangelical Conference center was built in 1874 starting with the building known today as Sannine building to be a school for boys. It was the first school for boys in the area. The missionary work in this part was led by a Scottish mission of the Free Church of Scotland which is a reformed church. The work in Choueir started by two missionaries known as Daniel Sinkler and Rev. John Ray. In 1875 Dr. Ray held the first communion with 13 members

With arrival of Dr. William Carslaw who was a doctor, theologian and educator. He open a pharmacy and provided medical services to all people. He was the only doctor with diploma in the area. When Pastor Ray left the mission in 1879 Dr. Carslaw administered the school which was a boarding school and did all the Pastoral work as well. In 1881- Dr. Carslaw became the head of the mission in Choueir. He was overseeing around 15 schools in the Area. Many successful people in leadership graduated from the school which started with 13 students in 1874 and the number of the students reached 743 students in 1880. There were 22 students in the boarding school.

In 1880 – Henry Jessab – head of American mission visited Choueir and relations started.

In 1890 the church in Choueir was opened.

In 1899-1890 due lack of financial resources in the American  board of schools, it was decided that the board the Scottish mission withdrew and the school  will be handed to the America board of foreign mission ,with the permission that Dr. Carslaw remains in his ministry as much as he can. Dr. Carslaw stayed in mission till his death in 1912. Where the village honored him and the following Monument still stands in the tea ground in front of Carslaw building, written on it

“A gift from the people of Choueir”.

In appreciation and honor to Rev. William Carslaw –

Dr. in theology. 1836-1912

Besides using the center as a school in winter, it was also used as a conference center during summer administered by Bible land union for Christian Education (BL.U.C.E). In 1962 the school which was administered by local people was closed. In 1962 the property was given to the National Evangelical Synod of Syria & Lebanon and officially registered in 1965.

Many people directed the Centre through BL.U.C.E. One of them was Rev. Ahronian from the Armenian Church.

In 1962-1968 the center was directed by Mrs Alis Khoury and Rev. Georges Khoury

1968-1975 the center was directed  by Rev. Dr. Salim Sahiouny.

In 1975 due to the Lebanese war, the center closed and it was damaged. Part of the center was used as a public school by the village from 1983-1995.

In 1996 it was handed back to the Synod. And renovation started.  In 1998 the center was functioning again, and is directed by Najla kassab with a board of four members.

About Dr. William Carslaw

Courtesy of Riad Khunieser, Yaffet Memorial Library, AUB

The article attached was published in the issue of February 1914 of Al-Kulliyeh, the AUB journal, and the author is a well-known Shweiry, Dr Habib Hammam. Dr. Hammam says that he new Dr. Carslaw since he came to Lebanon in 1876 until he died in October 1, 1913. He calls him “My master and teacher”. Dr Carslaw born in Clasco, Scotland on the eighth of September 1837. He was in his forties when he came to Shweir and he spent thirty-seven years between Shweirieh. He came to help as a doctor in the Shweir station. When Rev. Ray resigned in 1879, Dr Carslaw had to take over.

Henry Harris Jessup,D.D. Wrote in his book “Fifty-Three Years In Syria” v.1 (1910) Pages 384-385:

“.The whole difficulty arose from the fact that the Scotch committee, ignorant of Turkish law, had allowed their buildings to be erected on land belonging to an employee, and that this individual, knowing the law, had concealed the facts from them. After Dr. Carslaw had secured the title deeds, he sold the entire premises in Suk to the American Presbyterian Mission in 1888; and in 1900 the Scotch committee donated in fee simple the entire property in Shweir, consisting of church, manse, boys’ boarding-school and girls’ boarding-school to the American Presbyterian Mission, on condition: 1st, That these buildings be used only for Christian missionary purposes, and 2d, That the Missionary Committee of the Free Church of Scotland will continue the salary of Rev. William Carslaw so long as he is able and willing to do missionary work. Dr. Carslaw was licensed and ordained to the gospel ministry by the Lebanon Presbytery, December 16, 1883, and has continued until the present time as acting pastor of the

Shweir church. Dr. Carslaw always preaches in English, his translator standing by his side and interpreting his sermons in Arabic. This is probably the only case of the kind in the Turkish Empire. The doctor was forced into it by having entered the work in mature years when the acquisition of new language was difficult, and from the fact that from the outset he was overwhelmed with medical practice, and given no time to study the Arabic. His great success as a teacher in the school and pastor of the church is greatly to his credit. Few men in similar circumstances could have succeeded so well. 

“This is a brief history of a man who gave Shweir best of his years in education, culture and health care.”

In the November 1913, issue of Al-Kulliyeh, the English part, I copy: “A devoted friend of the College (AUB) passed away on October first, in the person of Rev. W. Carslaw, M.D., for many years the Principal of the Boys School in Shweir. Dr Carslaw served the College (AUB) for long period as a member of its Board of Managers. He has left his impress upon many students among whom his memory will be cherished.”