Peace Not Walls
A special ELCA campaign calling for efforts toward a viable, contiguous Palestinian state; a secure Israeli state at peace with its Arab neighbors; and a shared Jerusalem with equal access and rights for Jews, Christians, and Muslims
Welcome to Peace Not Walls, the campaign of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to learn, pray and act for peace with justice in the Holy Land.
Many walls stand in the way of peace for Israel and Palestine: walls of violence; of occupation; of political corruption and lack of will; of ignorance, mistrust, and fear of the “other.” We, as Christians, believe both that the gospel breaks down the dividing walls of hostility among people (Ephesians 2), and that God calls us to work actively for reconciliation in the world (2 Corinthians 5).
Dates: July 8-22, 2010
Cost: Approx. $2,000
The Southeast Michigan Synod, ELCA Global Mission and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land invite young people entering sophomore year in high school to age 22 to participate in this new Holy Land initiative.
What the program will include:
- Meet, build community and learn peace-building skills with Muslim, Jewish and Christian youth in their contexts.
- Learn about the different political, cultural and religious realities on the ground in the Holy Land.
- Equip yourself to advocate for peace with justice in the Holy Land upon your return home.
- Visit ancient holy sites and modern places where justice and lasting peace are spreading.
Apply soon, space is limited and filling up! For more information, please contact peacenotwallsinfo@elca.org.
Information Sheet | Brochure | Fundraising Ideas
2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly
Check out the video/audio of the floor debates to see how the decisions were made.
Read the amended resolutions (pg. 3) that relate to the ELCA Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine. To get a better idea where these resolutions came from read the background material and synod memorials related to Israel-Palestine in the Pre-Assembly Report of the Memorials Committee (pg. 18-24).
The staff implementing the ELCA Peace Not Walls campaign has noted with appreciation the action of the 2009 Churchwide Assembly which represented an overwhelming reaffirmation of the ELCA’s Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine. The amendment offered from the floor presented a quotation from the Strategy that further strengthened this document as it has been interpreted and implemented for the past four years. The ELCA staff persons responsible for the implementing campaign are in a constant process of reevaluating and refining the campaign’s perspectives and activities. They recognize and respect that many persons and groups within the ELCA hold deep convictions regarding the situation in Israel/Palestine, and they welcome exchange and conversation with ELCA members and others for whom the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a matter of central concern.
Learn About Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism is an animating force for American attitudes regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The June 2009 issue of The Lutheran contains a set of articles and resources geared toward equipping Lutherans with tools to understand and respond to the movement.
You can also learn more by exploring the Peace Not Walls site on Christian Zionism.
2009 Bishops' Academy Trip
Bishops from the ELCA and ELCIC 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.
All are invited to use the numerous resources that have been posted to assist bishops and their constituents to address Middle East peace-making in the areas of Awareness, Accompaniment, Advocacy, and Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relationships.
New Items
New Flier on Ideas to Get Involved in the Holy Land - Download PDF flier
2009 Resource User Guides - Find separate guides for using Peace Not Walls online resources for adult forum series, youth programs, women's meetings, worship, and travel.
New Palestine map cards - Free cards featuring (on the reverse side) a map of the West Bank; links to Peace Not Walls, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and Lutheran World Federation Jerusalem websites; and this quotation: “…I define myself as an ardent Zionist that thinks that the best for the Jews in Israel is that we abandon the territories and we dismantle settlements and we try to reach a reasonable settlement with our Palestinian partners.” Shlomo Ben-Ami, Former Israeli Minister of Public Security and Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2006. To order cards, email peacenotwallsinfo@elca.org or call Mia at 800/638-3522, ext. 2642.
Situation Update Page - This new page offers updates on the situation in Israel-Palestine from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA).
Speakers' Bureau - Do you need a Middle East peace-related speaker for an upcoming congregational or synod event? The Peace Not Walls team can assist you by consulting the database of potential speakers in many regions of the ELCA. Please send queries to peacenotwallsinfo@elca.org.
Video - Building Holy Land Peace - MN Congressman Keith Ellison joined Ambassador (Ret.) Warren Clark, executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace, in speaking on “Building Holy Land Peace: Will Americans Play a New Role?”
Middle East Network Newsletter (MENET) - Sign-up to receive a monthly e-newsletter that highlights what the ELCA is doing to work for peace in Israel-Palestine.