Phone: 972-2-626-6800 FAX: 972-2-628-5764 ADDRESS: Muristan Road P.O. Box 14076 Jerusalem 91140 via Israel
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land (ELCJHL) is known for its friendliness as it welcomes visitors and pilgrims to the Holy Land from throughout the world. Though Palestinian Christians have been here since the first Pentecost, the roots of the ELCJHL
are in the mid-19th century when German and English missionaries came to teach and minister to the local people.
Today, we have five congregations in Jerusalem, Ramallah and the Bethlehem area and one in Amman, Jordan. The churches in Amman and Ramallah are made up largely of families of refugees who fled their homes at the time of the tragic wars that followed the formation of Israel. We also operate four schools and four education programs.
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb (shown right), ELCJHL pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Palestine, is in the United States this week speaking at a host of venues about conditions in the occupied Palestinian Territories. Raheb was scheduled to speak at several Minnesota churches, as well as at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum at Augsburg College, an ELCA college in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
You can access the audio and video of the chapel service at which he preached at the ELCA Luther Seminary on March 4 by clicking here.
Please join us on Feb. 20 at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer for a special worship service.
This "Extraordinary Prayer of all Churches for Reconciliation, Unity and Peace, beginning in and
preceding from Jerusalem," is second in a series of services intended to promote Christian unity
and peace in the Holy Land.
Participants are asked to be seated by 5:30 p.m. so that the service can begin promptly at 6 p.m. The service will be broadcast live by TV stations throughout the Middle East, Europe, Brazil and North America.
Future services are planned for April at the Greek Melkite Catholic patriarchate in Jerusalem and October at the Armenian Orthodox Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem.
You can read more about the initiative at http://www.prayrup.info/en/news/
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Norwegian bishops and officials joined Bishop Munib A. Younan on a tour of the Haram es-Sharif ("Noble Sanctuary") in Jerusalem's Old City in late January. Here they pause in the Al-Aqsa ("Farthest") Mosque for a group photo. The bishops visited sites in Jordan, Israel and Palestine during their week-long trip to the Holy Land. It included visits with Dr. Rafiq Husseini, Chief of Staff Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and with Nasser A. Lozi, chief of the Royal Hashemite Court of Jordan's King Abdullah.
ELCJHL Bishop Munib A. Younan met with Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre on Jan. 18, 2010. Younan said the minister expressed his support for the ELCJHL and its ministries, as well as the Augusta Victoria Hospital, which is a ministry of the Lutheran World Federation. Younan met with Støre and other members of Norway’s diplomatic corps in West Jerusalem.
Click here to read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ article on the meeting.
Representatives of Middle Eastern Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed churches, meeting in Harissa,
Lebanon, have voted unanimously in favor of the ordination of women as pastors. The Jan. 12, 2010,
vote occurred at the Sixth General Assembly of the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches,
(pictured at left). In addition, churches from Iraq and Iran joined the
fellowship. Read more about the actions of the fellowship at the links below.
Click here for the full press release on the decision. Click here for FMEEC's report on the conference.
You can read coverage about the conference here:
The Christian Post: Mideast Evangelical Churches OK Women Ordination
The Christian Post: Ecumenical Head Praises Solidarity of Middle East Churches
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Worshippers sang "Silent Night" and carried candles as they marched from Christmas Lutheran Church to the International Center of Bethlehem along the city's ancient cobblestone streets.
Preaching at the Christmas Eve service was Dr. Uwe Gräbe, propst of the the German-speaking congregation of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Jerusalem. (Download his sermon here.) Also presiding at the service were Bishop Munib Younan, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb and Rev. Mark Holman.
Click here to download ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan's Christmas message in English German Spanish
This Advent, Palestinian Christian leaders gathered in Bethlehem to launch "A Moment of Truth:
A Word of Faith, Hope and Love from the Heart of Palestinian Suffering." The so-called Palestinian
Kairos document is a statement of reality and hope from a broad coalition of Christian leaders in
Palestine. ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan and the 12 other Patriarchs and Heads of Local Christian Churches
in Jerusalem wrote a letter in support of the effort.
Among those attending the Dec. 11 launch was Rabbi Brian Walt (pictured), of Jewish Fast for Gaza, a panelist at the Kairos document launch.
"The most challenging spiritual and moral question for the Jewish community today is the occupation of Palestine by Israel," he said.
You can read the Kairos document, add your name as a supporter and read more about it at the website at www.kairospalestine.ps.
Don't miss Archbishop Desmond Tutu's message to the gathering, which is found on the left side of the page.
You can read the response of Rev. Mark Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, at tiny.cc/kairosELCA.
The Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, comprised of leaders of Jerusalem's Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities, has released a statement calling for respect for the holy sites of all three religions.
The Nov. 13 statement came in response to recent clashes on the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The statement reads:
"The Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land regrets that the holy sites in Jerusalem continue to be exploited for conflict in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The Council reaffirms its commitment to advancing respect between religious communities in Jerusalem, the protection of each community’s holy sites and their sensitivities.
"Accordingly, in the wake of recent violent events, we express our support for all calls such as that of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammed Hussein, advocating non-violence and respect for the special and current status of the Al Aqsa Mosque, and the official repeated position of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel that it is prohibited by Jewish law (the Halacha) [for Jews] to enter the area.
"Together we call for the respect for the holy sites of all three religions and for peace of Jerusalem."
Clashes broke out in late September when extremist Jews entered the area with Israeli soldiers, according to a Ma'an News Agency report available here.
This followed reports by the Islamic Christian Society in Support of Jerusalem that said that Israel plans to allow Jewish worshippers exclusive access to the compound to worship on 50 Jewish holidays.
ELCJHL Pastor Ibrahim Azar brought greetings from the ELCJHL to the Evangelical Church of Westphalia,
in Bielefeld, Germany, in his address at its annual general assembly on Nov. 12. A delegation of the
EKvW was in Palestine in October as the two churches renew their long-term partnership. (Photo:
Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen/Andrea Rose)
Restricted access to holy sites is one of several concerns cited in a recent UN Human Rights Council draft resolution. The October 2009
document:
- offers deep concern about Israeli restriction of access to Christian and Muslim holy sites;
- demands that Israel cease digging and excavating beneath the Al Aqsa Mosque compound;
- condemns human rights violations such as land confiscation, house demolitions and settlement and separation wall building;
- and condemns the Israeli siege of Gaza, which constitutes collective punishment.
You can read the resolution here.
With Swedish, English, Finnish, Norwegian, German, Arabic and Danish celebrants and participants of many faith traditions, the annual Oct. 31 Reformation Day celebration at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem's Old City maintained its traditional ecumenical and multilingual flavor. Here, Bishop Younan reads the Gospel in Arabic from the midst of the congregation.
Here is the bishop's sermon in: English Arabic German Spanish
The ELCJHL congratulates Chilean pastor Rev. Martin Junge on his election as the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation on Oct. 26, 2009. Please click here for the full story.
Children from the ELCJHL Al-Mahaba Kindergarten olives recently joined in the olive harvest on the Mount of Olives. After picking them, they pounded them and placed them in salt water to make them edible.
A delegation from the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland met with Bishop Munib Younan on Oct. 17, 2009 to discuss conditions in the Holy Land and renew their friendship with the ELCJHL.
You can read the delegation's response to the trip here.
ELCJHL Bishop Rev. Dr. Munib Younan was one of some 50 religious leaders to gather recently in Rajendrapur, Bangladesh, to discuss putting faith into action across religious boundaries. The Lutheran World Federation Department for Mission and Development organized the Sept. 8-10, 2009, event, which was hosted by RDRS Bangladesh in cooperation with the Bangladesh Lutheran Church and the Bangladesh Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The three-day consultation, “Interfaith Diapraxis: Building Communities of Solidarity and Mutual Interest across Faith Boundaries,” aimed to reflect on and affirm the importance of religious freedom in any process of peaceful coexistence.
You can read more about the consultation here.
LWF's article, "LWF Interfaith Consultation Challenges Religious Leaders to Promote Understanding," can be found
here.
While in Bangladesh, Bishop Younan also met with 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus. Yunus (left), Younan, LWF Deputy General Secretary Chandran Martin and Kamaluddin Akbar, Executive Director of RDRS Bangladesh, met at the headquarters of Grameen ("Village") Bank in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on the topic of microfinance.
Lutherans are asking the Obama Administration to "remain firm" in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian impasse. In an Oct. 13 letter, 58 of 65 synod bishops and the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) expressed concern over the stalemate and the "fading hopes" for a two-state solution. (Source: ELCA News Service)
For the entire news release, click here.
Click here to download their letter.
Click here for more information on the ELCA's engagement with Israel-Palestine.
ELCJHL Bishop Munib A. Younan and Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, were among 1,000 people who attended the fourth major Muslim-Christian dialogue conference Oct. 7-8 in Washington, D.C.
"To work for justice in the world, it cannot be only Muslims or Christians and cannot be only for our own interests, but it must really take into consideration what problems are facing us and need justice," Younan said.
"It has been both the challenge and the hope for this conference that common words would lead to common deeds," Hanson said. "We have heard stories of places where particular Muslims and Christians are deepening their understanding of one another in dialogue that leads to engagement in their communities." The discussion was an extension of a 2007 document, "A Common Word Between Us and You," from 138 Muslim scholars to Christian leaders, calling for Christians and Muslims to work together for peace. It declared that the world's future depends on peace between Muslims and Christians. (Source: ELCA News Services)
For the full release click here.
Click here to read one reaction to the Common Word conference.
For audio of Bishop Younan's comments, click here.
For audio of Bishop Hanson's comments, click here.
The official website of A Common Word Between Us and You is found here.
A delegation from the Evangelical Church of Westphalia has been making visits around the ELCJHL in recent days. On Oct. 11, the EKvW's bishop, Alfred Buss (second from left), preached at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, where he encouraged believers not to let the political realities of the occupation rob them of their hope. ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan (holding plate) spoke with the group the following day, recalling the church's German roots and the EKvW's long history of partnership to the Palestinian church. The two leaders expressed happiness that the churches are renewing the relationship.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (left) and Bishop Munib Younan posed for a photo after sharing an iftar meal in Ramallah on Aug. 26. Carter was in the region with The Elders, an independent group of eminent global leaders seeking to use their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.
Their Aug. 25-28 visit to Israel-Palestine was intended to allow the group to listen to the people affected by the conflict here and to offer their support to all those working for peace.
For more about The Elders, go to their website at www.theelders.org.
Archeologists, historians, film-makers, theologians and others gathered in Bethlehem on Aug. 23-29 to discuss how their disciplines have contributed to the current situation in Israel-Palestine. Participants in the “Invention of History: A Century of Interplay between Theology and Politics in Palestine” conference hailed from around the world. Notably, a group of South Africans reflected on comparisons of the situation here with those in their country during apartheid.
Organized and hosted by the International Center of Bethlehem, a ministry of ELCJHL Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, the conference was third in a series of five designed to generate research, discussion and writings in support of a just resolution to the conflict. Conference convener Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb said there are already two publishers interested in publishing the papers presented at the conference.
You can find an agenda and description of the conference on ICB’s website by clicking here.
The ELCJHL extends hearty congratulations to Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, who was elected
to be the 7th general secretary of the World Council of Churches during its central committee
meeting on Aug. 27.
October 2009: Salt and leaven in the Holy Land
October 2009: LWF Resolution on Justice for Dalits
October 2009: The Goldstone Report and the high holy days
September 2009: UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict ("Goldstone Report")
September 2009: The New Israel Lobby
June 2009: Arab Christians: The Forgotten Faithful
June 2009: Christian Zionism: It challenges our Lutheran commitments
July 2009: A New Idea: The Marriage of a One-State and a Two-State Solution
May 18, 2009: Christian leaders appeal for peace with justice in the Holy Land
May 15, 2009: A Message from Jerusalem Christians to the Pope
March 14, 2009: Has anyone in Israel asked why the Swedes hate us?
March 6, 2009: On Israel, Shifted Ground
Feb. 25, 2009: Can Gaza be rebuilt through tunnels?
We are in the process of updating the website to navigate better, coordinate with more recent website protocols and provide more downloadable resources for understanding the reality of life for our church and our Palestinian sisters and brothers. For questions, contact .