Syrian Priest Killed While Helping the Wounded
Father Bassilius Nassar, a Greek Orthodox priest who was helping a wounded man, was shot and killed in Hama on Wednesday. Both the government and the opposition blamed the killing on the other. This was the same day the Secretary General...
ELCJHL Breaks Ground on New Church at Baptismal Site
On the Feast of Epiphany, 6 January, ELCJHL members and leaders gathered at the Baptismal Site at Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan to celebrate the ground breaking for the new Evangelical Lutheran Pilgrimage and Retreat Center at Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan. Celebrations began with a service of...
Mitri Raheb to Receive Prestigious German Recognition
The official announcement of Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb as recipient of the 2011 prestigious international award “Deutscher Medienpreis” was made in Germany on Friday, January 13, 2012. Launched in 1992, the award was mainly granted to Heads of States, including...
New EU Report says Two-State Solution Threatened by Israeli Policies in Area C
A new report by the European Union leaked to journalists says that the possibility of a two-state solution is getting more and more remote as Israeli policies of population transfer and demolition of homes continue. An article by the Israeli newspaper...
Jordan to host Israeli, Palestinian Envoys in Talks ahead of Quartet Meeting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal emissary Yitzhak Molcho and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat will meet in Amman on Tuesday, hosted by Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. According to the Haaretz article, Senior Palestinian official, Azzam al-Ahmed, said the the sides...
“Joseph also went. . . along with Mary, his wife. . . who was expecting a child.” (Luke 2:4-5)
These words are taken from the Christmas Eve sermon from Pastor Fred Strickert, the ELCA missionary who serves at the English-speaking Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jerusalem. On Christmas Eve, the Arabic, German and English-speaking congregations join together at Christmas Lutheran Church...
Christmas Service from Bethlehem/Washington and Bishop Younan’s Christmas Message
Christmas Lutheran Church and the Internationl Center of Bethlehem joined together with the Washington National Cathedral for the 5th annual Christmas service simulcast on Saturday, Dec. 17. Watch video of the service. The Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, LWF President...
ELCJHL Schools Wish You a Merry Christmas
The ELCHL schools send Christmas greetings to all in a card illustrated by students. See the full Christmas card | See photos of the Ramallah Christmas program | See other...
Syrian Christian Leaders Issue Statement
The leaders of the three largest Orthodox communities in Syria have issued a statement regarding the current situation in their country. The two files attached here show the letter, translated from Arabic. For the several years it has been in...
American Jewish Groups Issue Critiques of ‘Bethlehem Call’
At least two mainstream American Jewish organizations have issued statements critical of the ‘Bethlehem Call’ and the decision of some mainline denominations in the United States, including the ELCA, to draw attention to the document. Neither the ELCA Peace Not...