ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 23, 2009  

ELCA, ELCIC Bishops Report on 2009 Bishops' Academy
09-025-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC) released "Report and Reflections from the Bishops'
Academy Visit to the Holy Land," an account of their recent visit
to the Middle East. The Jan. 22 report was signed by the Rev.
Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, and the Rev. Susan C.
Johnson, ELCIC national bishop, on behalf of academy
participants.
     Bishops from both churches visited Israel and the West Bank
Jan. 6-13, and a few visited Jordan Jan. 3-6. The 44 bishops met
with religious, political and community leaders in the region,
and visited sacred sites. The visit focused on supporting the
mission and ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan
and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), learning about what life is like for
Israelis and Palestinians, and advocating for peace and justice
for all people there.
     In their report, the Lutheran leaders noted that the war in
Gaza between Hamas and Israel started shortly before the trip
began, but the group decided to continue with their visit as
planned.
     "Throughout our time in the Holy Land, the situation in Gaza
was a dramatic backdrop to our travels and for our conversations
with people from different faiths and viewpoints who endure fear
and bear oppression in ways that we have never known," Hanson and
Johnson wrote.
     The report recounts much of what the bishops experienced
during their Holy Land visit. They concluded the report by
pledging to continue to "accompany" the ELCJHL, to learn more
about the situation in the Middle East and how to change it, "and
to advocate in every way possible for the justice that will lead
to the security and shared homeland that is the only foundation
for lasting peace."
     "We will be faithful in ongoing visitation to our
Palestinian brothers and sisters, determined in our call to be a
public church, and communicate with our governments for their
intervention in the Middle East," the Lutheran bishops wrote.
They added they will be "persistent in our efforts to build
bridges with inter-religious partners, and courageous in telling
the truth of the 'facts on the ground' in the Holy Land."
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     The complete text of the bishops' "Report and Reflections"
is at http://www.ELCA.org/bishopstatement on the ELCA Web site.
     Information about the bishops' visit to the Middle East is
at http://blogs.ELCA.org/09cobacademy/ on the ELCA Web site.

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