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.
It was with great joy that The Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) received the World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation led by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit on Monday, August 30, 2010.
Pictured here: WCC general secretary Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, left, and Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan, right, shake hands. (Photo: © Elizabeth McHan, ELCJHL)
Follow the WCC delegation on its August 28 to September 2 visit at the following links:
WCC Delegation Seeks Just and Inclusive Peace in Palestine and Israel
Loving Your Neighbour in the Middle East
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas expressed to Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan his sincere joy and satisfaction upon receiving the news of the Bishop’s election as the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) President at the recent LWF assembly held in Stuttgart, Germany, in late July. PA President Abbas also emphasized repeatedly his solid support of the Bishop in his new role as the LWF President.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, right, greets Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan at their August 19 meeting. (Photo: © Mark Brown, LWF Jerusalem)
Delegates at The Lutheran World Federation Eleventh Assembly elected ELCJHL Bishop Munib A. Younan to be their new president on July 24. In this new role, Younan will serve as the public face of the LWF, a global communion of Christian churches with 145 member churches in 79 countries representing more than 70 million Christians.
Pictured here is LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, left, embracing Bishop Younan following the election, while ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson looks on. (Photo: © LWF/Erick Coll)
Click here for a story about Younan's election.
Click here for stories and more photos from the Eleventh Assembly.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland installed Kari Mäkinen (front row, second from left) as its archbishop on June 6, 2010, in Turku, Finland. ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan (front row, first from left) was one of many Lutheran bishops from around the world on hand to take part in the installation.
Bishop Younan earned his master of theology degree at the University of Helsinki, Finland, in 1976.
"Religion must be part of the solution," said ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan at a June 2
meeting sponsored by the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information. to discuss the
role religion can play in seeking peace.
For the full Ecumenical News International story, click here.
For Bishop Younan's message at the event, click here.
The efforts of peace activitists to break the Gaza siege from the sea were thwarted on May 31, 2010, when Israeli soldiers boarded at least one ship in the flotilla and killed at least nine people on board. Here are two responses to the incident from a faith perspective.
Click here for a statement from Sabeel, the Palestinian liberation theology center in Jerusalem.
Click here for a statement from Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, the U.S. partner of the ELCJHL.
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Large crowds and local dignitaries were on hand to celebrate graduation at the Lutheran high
schools. In addition to the usual speeches by school and church officials, English and German
speeches by students, and the distribution of diplomas, two Dar al Kalima graduates – Mohammed Teilakh and
Yousef Al-Ramahi – performed a rap song to the delight of the audience. Dabka troupes also performed
at several of the ceremonies.
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 .