ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 22, 2007  

Middle East Lutheran Bishop Visits U.S., Calls For Peace Among Palestinians
07-008-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land,
Jerusalem, is in the United States this month for a series of
speaking engagements at Lutheran institutions and at the Global
Mission Festival this week in Winter Park, Fla.
     Younan spoke Jan. 18 at Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pa.,
met with students and faculty Jan. 19 at the Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), and preached Jan. 20 and 21 at
Trinity Lutheran Church, Lansdale, Pa.
     Muhlenberg College is one of 28 colleges and universities of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA); LTSP is one of
eight ELCA seminaries; Trinity Lutheran Church is an ELCA
congregation.
     The remainder of Younan's schedule includes several public
appearances:
+ Yale University, New Haven, Conn., Jan. 22
+ Progressive National Baptist Convention, Houston, Jan. 23-24
+ Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) and meetings at
the ELCA churchwide office, Jan. 25
+ ELCA Global Mission Festival, Winter Park, Fla., Jan. 27
+ St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Winter Park, Jan. 28
+ A series of meetings in New York, including Lutheran
organizations and congregations, Jan. 28-31
     LSTC is an ELCA seminary; St. John is an ELCA congregation.
     A week before he left for the United States, Younan and 12
other Middle East Christian church leaders issued in a Jan. 7
statement to express deep concern about deteriorating relations
between Fatah and Hamas leaders in the Palestianian Authority.
In their statement, the church leaders said they "feel the time
has come to call for intense prayer to Almighty God for peace and
an opportunity for calm."
     "It would appear that all kinds of mediation and attempts at
reconciliation have so far failed resulting in a deadlock in the
situation," the church leaders wrote.  "The latest allegation and
threats which have been aired through the local and international
media have resulted in some large-scale fighting which will soon
be very difficult to stop.  Added to this, the threatening
language ... by representatives of both movements and other
related parties are both unprecedented and very aggressive.  Such
occurrences can only bring a civil war nearer by the hour.  The
outcome would be so drastic that it will obscure the real
priorities of the whole Palestinian issue."
     The church leaders urged people to pray for their neighbors
rather than "hurling accusations at each other."  Fighting with
and kidnapping opponents will not bring down the Israeli Security
Wall that surrounds and, in some places, cuts through Palestinian
land, nor will it end an embargo on the Palestinian people, the
leaders wrote.
     "We believe we have an obligation to change course
especially for the sake of all of our children and young people
who deserve a better future devoid of hatred and bitterness," the
church leaders wrote.  They called for an "all out effort" to
unite Palestinians and concentrate on interdependence and the
opportunity for peace and security for all people living in the
Middle East, including Christians, Jews and Muslims.
     The Christian church leaders offered themselves as mediators
"or in whatever role deemed necessary and helpful by our people,"
their letter concluded.
---
     The text of the Middle East Christian leaders' letter is at
http://www.holyland-lutherans.org/07JanHOCStatement.html
on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog