Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land shares a statement concerning the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem:

“The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land stands in strong opposition to the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. This move is in violation of international law and reverses decades of foreign policy regarding Israel and Palestine. Such a unilateral decision undermines any potential for achieving just peace based on the UN Resolutions, and in fact has increased tensions and conflicts throughout the region.      

Jerusalem is a very special city, holy to three religions, and therefore it should be a place of peace, justice, and reconciliation. Our church continues to pray and advocate for a peaceful and just solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict in accordance with the International Law. We want to see two viable and sovereign independent states, living side by side with agreed upon borders, and with Jerusalem as a shared city for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. We insist that there should be freedom of access to holy sites for all.  

We are deeply concerned about what the opening of the US Embassy means for the future of this city and of the Holy Land. Nevertheless, we will continue to pray, to advocate, and to work for peace, justice, and reconciliation for all the people of Jerusalem. 

We call upon our partner churches to urge their governments to respect the International Law concerning Jerusalem.”

Find a PDF of the full statement from the ELCJHL on the US Embassy move here.

Saleem Moussa Anfous is a member of the Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.  In September 2017 he participated in the Lutheran World Federation’s first interfaith “Peace Messengers Training”.  The participants gained skills and tools on advocacy, negotiation and mediation. They also learned how to combine such capacity with individual experiences, faith and cultural traditions.

Read his blog post here about the vocation of being a peacemaker in the multi religious context of the Holy Land.

Consecration of Bishop Sani Ibrahim Charlie Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land on Friday January 12, 2018 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jerusalem’s Old City. Photo by Ben Gray / ELCJHL

In Jerusalem on January 12, 2018 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land consecrated and installed The Rev. Sani Ibrahim Charlie “Barhoum” Azar as its fourth Bishop in the church’s history. Under the guidance of the Scripture, “You did not choose me, but I chose you,” John 15:16 Bishop Azar addressed the congregation and honored guests.

“It seems the Lord has called me today to follow in a new way, and to bear new fruit. Today, the six congregations of the ELCJHL are under my care. I am humbled and honored to take up this new responsibility, and promise to continue our relationship based on love companionship and respect,” Bishop Azar.

For more information, including a biography of Bishop Azar, Bishop Azar’s sermon, a Q&A with Bishop Azar and photos go here.

Bishop Ibrahim Azar speaks to the ELCJHL partners on Saturday January, 15, his first full day as bishop of the church. PHoto by Ben Gray / ELCJHL

On January 13 Bishop Azar addressed the international partner churches in attendance for the installation. The international partners of the ELCJHL include organizations, churches and councils that have entered into mutual companionship and accompaniment for the betterment of both.

Representatives from all of the 29 ecumenical partners, member organizations and companion churches attended the first address to them from the newly consecrated, Bishop Azar.

In a gentle and measured manner,  Bishop Azar thanked partners for decades of missional work in the region. Peppered with humor, Bishop Azar told the partners that he would implement a new strategic plan for the next five years that would include: Spiritual care for the people of the church, financial sustainability projects, Diakonia to the community, and efforts to continue gender justice.

“Our pastors and laypeople will go where the people are, we will not sit by idly in our churches waiting for the people to come to us,” Bishop Azar said.

More info at the ELCJHL blog

ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan embraces LWF General Secretary Martin Junge with ELCA Bishop Elizabeth Eaton looking on. Photo/ELCJHL Ben Gray

Bethlehem, 10 January 2018 – Glowing tributes of the foundation that Bishop Younan established at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) matched the glow of friends, family, Jerusalem and international leaders, and dignitaries from Palestine and Jordan, as they celebrated the third Bishop of the ELCJHL.

For the full story and a gallery of photos check out the ELCJHL blog here.

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has joined members of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East in a letter to President Trump. The letter encourages the president to continue U.S. efforts toward peace in the Middle East.

The ELCA works alongside our companion church in the region, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). The Right Rev. Dr. Bishop Munib Younan of the ELCJHL received the Niwano Peace Prize on July 27 for his work toward interreligious dialogue among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Jerusalem and worldwide.

The letter from interreligious leaders in the US and the prize for Bishop Younan come at a time when there is increased tension in Jerusalem, specifically around access to the Al Aqsa compound. Bishop Younan along with other heads of churches in Jerusalem signed a letter calling for a peaceful resolution that honors the status quo of access to religious sites.

The recent escalation in violence in Jerusalem is centered around access to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound (Haram AlSharif). Israel has placed metal detectors at the entrances to the compound following the killing of two Israeli Druze policeman by three Israeli Palestinians. In their statement the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem call for the historical status quo governing these holy sites to be respected.

Here is the full statement from the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem.

Here is a current news article about the situation.

Resurrection Joy in a Fearful World

Easter Message 2017

From Bishop Dr. Munib Younan

Matthew 28:5-8

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.This is my message for you.’ So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”

***

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia! Al-Masih qam! Hakkan qam!

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, on Palm Sunday morning, after being in church and feeling encouraged by the message of “Hosanna!” sung by the children and the congregation, I heard the sad news of the massacre of our sisters and brothers in two churches in Egypt. One cannot receive such horrific news except with tears. The feelings of great joy on our feast day, and great sadness over such a horror, are inseparable as much as the great joy and great fear of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were inseparable as they ran from the empty tomb.

And so I must confess that as I prepared this Easter message from Jerusalem, the city of the crucifixion and resurrection, to the whole world, I had some doubts in my heart. I thought: What message can I bring this year that is different from past years? Has the Easter message lost its meaning, disregarded by Christians as well as others? Is it just a message of idealism, far from the lived experience of people today? What does the resurrection of Jesus have to say to us in the midst of the terrors, chaos, and uncertainty of today’s world?

But then I remember that the life of faith is not always one of assurances or certainties. Jesus’ own disciples struggled to understand his teachings and his journey to the cross. Peter denied Jesus three times. The guards at the tomb were so afraid that they became “like dead men.” Mary Magdalene and the other Mary ran from the tomb with fear and great joy. And on the walk to Emmaus, the disciples did not recognize the risen Christ until the breaking of the bread.

Therefore, there is no shame to admit that here in the Middle East it is a very challenging time to proclaim and live the Good News of the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus. The struggles we are facing are very real and are becoming even more complicated. We have good reason to feel confused! And still, the message of Easter comes to us very clearly: Christ is risen! The powers of sin and death have been defeated! And as the angel of the Lord has promised, the risen Christ now goes before us to lead the way in this broken and often frightening world.

I think of the story of St. Augustine, who was full of doubt but prayed earnestly for the gift of faith in God. While he was praying, he heard the voice of a child saying, “Pick it up and read! Pick it up and read!” He thought this could be the Lord telling him to read the Holy Scriptures, so he searched and found a Bible. Then he opened it and read the first verse he saw, from the Letter of Paul to the Romans: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh or the gratification of your desires.” (Romans 13:14) The young Augustine read no further, for there was no need. He later wrote: “No sooner had I reached the end of the verse than the light of certainty flooded my heart and all dark shades of doubt fled away.”  (Confessions) Thanks be to God, the risen Christ always comes to us when we are full of doubt, and shows us the way of love and light! For this reason, even in the midst of our confusion and sadness over the killing of innocent Christians at prayer, we can say with certainty: There is no religion which accepts the killing of innocent worshipers, who were doing nothing but seeking closeness with God. These acts are untenable and unaccepted in any religion. We are grateful that the vast majority of Muslim friends also stand with us as equal citizens against such horrors.

Today we are also facing a horrible and confusing situation in Syria, in Iraq, and across the Middle East. We see the images of chemicals stealing the breath from children, and of cities lying in rubble, and we wonder, “What can we do?” At the same time, we see missiles flying and we are afraid of what comes next for Syria, and for the whole Middle East.

And again, although we may feel confused, because we have seen the risen Christ we know one thing for certain: Syria has no need of more weapons, more violence, or more massacres, or more extremism from anybody. This is creating international tension, straining relations between friends and partners, and we are afraid of what comes next. I urge world leaders to hear the words of Jesus to Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane, after Peter had cut off the ear of the high priest servant: “Return your sword to its sheath! For those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” Violence breeds violence, whether it is committed by terrorists or by governments. I call on the leaders of the world: Return your swords to their sheaths! Bring instead peace based on justice to Syria, to Iraq, to Palestine and to the whole Middle East. Bring a future for us and for our children.

As Christians in the Holy Land today, the turmoil in these many neighbor countries is very frightening. At the same time, here at home we are in our fiftieth year of occupation. Many Palestinian Christians are asking, “How long, O Lord? When will this end? Where do we belong?”

For this reason, I feel it is important to acknowledge that even as we sing our joyful “Hallelujahs” and celebrate Our Lord’s victory over death, some fear and confusion and doubts still remain. And yet, we must remember that we are not alone. These are the very same feelings the disciples felt after the resurrection of Jesus.

When our Lord was raised on that resurrection morning, the earth shook, an angel arrived in a flash of lightning, and the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb. It seemed the very foundations of heaven and earth had shifted. What we proclaim today as Good News, at that time was only confusing, frightening news! The guards, the women, and the disciples were all afraid of what they saw and heard. They were all afraid of what would come next. They wondered what the resurrection meant for their lives. And yet, this same earth-shaking event is the one that gives us hope today. The powers and principalities of sin and death could not overcome the love of God. Yes, they could crucify Jesus. Yes, they could bury Jesus. But they could not bury God’s love for the world!

In the midst of their confusion, the angel told the ones gathered at the tomb, “He is not here, He is risen! He is not here, He is risen!” In the midst of bombings, Christ is risen! In the midst of persecution, Christ is risen! In the midst of violence and occupation, Christ is risen! In the midst of poverty and sickness, Christ is risen! In the midst of war, Christ is risen! And in the midst of our families, our communities, and our churches today, Christ is risen!

This is our hope, and we must cling to it. The message of Easter is not idealism. Christ’s victory over sin, death, and despair, is the only hope that has kept Christians steadfast in this land for two thousand years. It is the only hope that carried the saints of every age through trials, struggles, and persecutions. And it is the only hope that today will carry us through these confusing times in the Middle East and throughout the world. The Good News of the resurrection gives Christians clarity and purpose, no matter where they are, and no matter what the future brings. Jesus, the Morning Star, goes before us to lead the way and the Way of Jesus is always the way of peace, justice, mercy, healing, reconciliation, respect for diversity, and living together as one people of God.

Therefore, Palestinian Christians will continue to be steadfast in our land. We will continue to carry the message of resurrection in the face of all who promote a culture of death. In the midst of power struggles, political maneuvering, and the growth of extremism in our world, we will only proclaim the culture of life and life abundantly, will full dignity for every human being.

As we celebrate Our Lord’s victory over death, in this 500^th year of the Reformation, let us trust that Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection have already liberated us by grace. We are not afraid! Despite all troubles and tribulations, let us go out from our churches and into the world with the joy of the resurrection, knowing that the risen Christ goes always before us. Let us encourage one another with the two-thousand-year-old Easter greeting of Jerusalem:

Hallelujah! Christ is risen! Al-Masih qam! Hakan qam!

For more information contact Adrainne Gray at agray@elcjhl.org and visit www.elcjhl.org

Text provided by the ELCJHL

Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, sent the following letter to President Trump about his recent executive order about refugees and immigrants:

An Open Letter to President Donald Trump From a Bishop of Jerusalem 1 February 2017

Jesus said: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” (Matt 25:35)

 The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500  

Dear Mr. President,

Salaam and grace to you from Jerusalem, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

I write to you from the Holy City of Jerusalem in a spirit of prayer. I pray that your presidency will be a fruitful one. I pray that under your leadership, the United States of America will continue to uphold and promote its time-honored values of diversity, equality, pursuit of happiness, and of liberty and justice for all.

I pray that as President, you will uphold and promote these values, not only for the citizens of your country, but also for your neighbors. May your commitment to the foundational values of your country extend also to those living in areas of conflict and suffering. I offer this prayer from my office in Jerusalem, where we are still praying and working for a peaceful, just solution for the two peoples and three religions of this land. We long to realize the liberty, justice, and equality in diversity that your country exemplifies for the world.

I have heard about the recent executive decisions you have taken regarding immigrants and refugees, and I am worried.

I am worried, because for nearly 250 years, the world has looked to your country as an example of how diverse races and nationalities can possess one American identity. Your country has led the way in promoting civil rights, always hearkening back to the principle of equal citizenship, with liberty and justice for all. This is the reason so many refugees and immigrants have looked to the United States as a beacon of hope.

I am worried, not only for those who can no longer enter your country, but for the safety of my neighbors in this region. I am afraid that the decision to deny entry for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries while suggesting preferential treatment for Christians from those same countries will be harmful to many smaller communities in the region. This approach will be especially harmful to Arab Christians. In the Arab world, Christians have a long history of living side by side with our Muslim neighbors. We reject any move to divide Arab society along religious lines, and continue to see ourselves as deserving equal citizenship with equal rights and equal responsibilities.

I am worried, because I myself am a refugee, and know firsthand the struggles refugee families face. At the same time, as a Lutheran bishop, I know that turning away refugees of any religion contradicts the message of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself was also a refugee, who sought refuge and safety with his family in Egypt. Throughout his life, through his teaching and his actions, Jesus showed concern for the stranger and the outcast. In her pastoral letter of 30 January, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of our partner church, the ELCA, has said:

“Our Lord not only commanded us to welcome the stranger, Jesus made it clear that when we welcome the stranger into our homes and our hearts – we welcome him.” (Matt 25:35)

For this reason, welcoming the stranger is not optional for Christians. It is one of our foundational values.

In November 2013, a group of diverse religious leaders from around the world gathered in Vienna to sign “Welcoming the Stranger: Affirmations for Faith Leaders.” This historic document pledges support for refugees, internally displaced and stateless persons, and to work against xenophobia. More than 600 delegates from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim faiths attended the event, a powerful witness to the fact that concern for refugees is not exclusive to one religion, but is at the heart of every religious tradition.

As the Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem, as a refugee, and as a global citizen, my plea is that you will reconsider your recent decisions regarding refugees and immigrants. I urge you to reflect upon the foundational values of the United States and of Jesus, and to seek a different path toward the twin goals of security and opportunity in the land of the free.

Most respectfully,

Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

cc: Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton – Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The original text can be found here.

To learn more about the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and Holy Land click here.

June 20 the Lutheran World Federation Council passed two resolutions related to the Middle East.

The resolution supporting Arab Christians in the Middle East supports the efforts of the “Fellowship of Middle East Council of Churches (FMECC) to sustain the Christian presence in the Middle East as a witness for the gospel of love and the sake of moderation.” The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land is lifted up as a member church of the LWF in the region doing this work. The resolution also states that the LWF supports these churches “for the role they play in building a modern civil society that respects internationally-recognized human rights, including freedom of religion and freedom of speech, and promotes gender justice.”

A second resolution about Israel and Palestine highlights that “the well-known core issues that would be part of a final status agreement are still unresolved – borders, security, settlements, movement and access, refugees, mutual recognition and the status of Jerusalem.”   The resolution supports both the French and Arab Peace Initiatives and calls on member churches to promote the participation of their own governments.

For the full text of the resolution about Supporting Arab Christians in the Middle East click here and about Israel and Palestine click here

To read more about the LWF Council Meeting 2016 click here

The Carter Center recently hosted a summit of Christian churches and church-related organizations from the United States and the Holy Land in Atlanta called “Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: The Atlanta Summit of American and Palestinian Churches.” The summit was aimed at helping to create “a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land.” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELJCHL) Bishop Munib Younan attended the summit.

One of the summit participants, Rev. Mitri Raheb (ELCJHL pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem), is interviewed by WBEZ 91.5 Chicago about how he thinks Christian churches and American political leaders can help facilitate peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Listen here to the radio interview with Rev. Raheb.