Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holyland
ELCJHL
 Phone:
 +972-(0)2-626-6800

 Fax:
 +972-(0)2-628-5764

 Address:
 Muristan Road
 P.O. Box 14076
 Jerusalem 91140
 via Israel

ELCJHL News January - February 2010

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Bishop Younan travels to Finland for theology symposium, partner meeting

ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan spoke on the topic of reconciliation at the Feb. 23-24, 2010, theology symposium at the University of Joensuu, Finland. He also met with representatives of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, one of the ELCJHL's international partners.

Younan travels regularly to Finland, where he earned his master's degree in theology in 1976.

Prayer for peace and unity at Redeemer on Saturday, Feb. 20

Clouds over Jerusalem's Old CityPlease 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/

Norwegian bishops meet with partners, visit Holy Land sites

Norwegian bishops, et al, in Al-Aqsa Mosque

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.

Norway's foreign minister offers support for ELCJHL

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.

FMEEC supports female ordination, enlarges fellowship

FMEEC group photo, Lebanon 2010Representatives 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