Arab and Middle Eastern Lutherans Gather in Bethlehem

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Speaking in both Arabic and English, the Rev. Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ), said, "If there is no Christianity in the Holy Land, then it will no longer be a holy land." Younan spoke at "Witness and Mission," an international conference held July 4-9 in Bethlehem that brought together Lutherans from the Middle East and United States.
"The theme of this conference should be 'stand up and walk,'" Younan told participants. "As the people of Palestine face their worst time without yet a just peace, the 2 percent who are Christians [there] are impelled by the gospel to be ministers of reconciliation, brokers of just peace, and apostles of love. U.S. Palestinian Christians must be our voice in the United States and vice versa. Together, we can have a joint ministry to the whole world," he said.
About 75 members of the ELCJ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the ELCA's Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage (ALAMEH) and others gathered to establish ways in which both churches can support each other in faith and ministry.
"We wish this conference had occurred 12 years ago," Younan said. "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan wants to energize members of its Arab and Middle Eastern churches and to mobilize ourselves to fully support the witness we have to offer," he said.
Participants developed goals for future ministry efforts between the ELCA and the ELCJ. They included strengthening the relationships between the ELCA and ELCJ; developing education and worship materials for use in both churches; planning and carrying out exchange programs; and advocating for local leadership.
We hope that this conference will be the first of a number of international meetings, said the Rev. Bassam J. Abdallah, First United Lutheran Church, Hammond, Ind. Abdallah also serves as a consultant on Arab and Middle Eastern ministries to the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries.
Lutherans from the United States were informed about the social, cultural, political and religious issues concerning Palestinians, Abdallah said. "Throughout the conference, participants noted the general ignorance on Palestinian issues among Americans," he said.
Sami Musallam, chief of staff for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said a serious issue in Palestine is the number of refugees and displaced persons, "as the Israelis do not count the descendants of persons displaced since 1948. Also problematic are borders and water access. Palestinians hope, within a few months, to declare a democratic, pluralistic state with the return of refugees," he said. Musallam is a member of the ELCJ.
The Rev. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, led a keynote presentation called "Lutheran Witness in the Middle East: A Reflection." Raheb identified several "unique" elements of the "Lutheran witness" in Palestine.
"We preach the good news of Jesus Christ with the power to transform the people here, who need to see themselves as actors, not spectators. The ELCJ has the special call of developing a contextual theology from a cross-cultural perspective," Raheb said.
"The Lutheran presence and witness in the Middle East is a "witness for democracy in a region with many hierarchial systems," Raheb said. "It is also a witness for pluralism, a witness to a theology of the relationship of divine rights and human rights -- a call for ... women's rights, as the only church in the Middle East ready to ordain women," he said.
Lutheran education programs must emphasize critical thinking and creativity, Raheb said, "as there are no models to copy, for instance, in the peace process." "Lutherans are calling for a cultural renewal of this region and for seeing 'the other' as neighbor, in place of the old ideologies that are no longer functioning such as socialism, pan-Arabism and forms of religion that maintain walls around subgroups," he said.
Raheb continued, "Lutherans have a social witness, a diakonia, that can address the rich-poor polarization and the diminishing middle class in all the Middle East. Especially needed are trained counselors to deal with the weakening of the extended family."
He said, "Lutherans are called to an active role in interfaith relations. As the only Christians to use 'Allah' for God in worship, worshiping in the language of the Qur'an, they share a culture with Muslims. And as the victims of Israeli state oppression, the opposite experience for Lutherans in Europe, Palestinian Lutherans have a unique perspective for dealing with the Jewish state."
Finally, Raheb said, "Lutherans in the land of the Bible can call for a new way to read the Bible and to find the good news in the good news."
"The creation of the state of Israel meant the dismantling of a nation and the misery of six million Palestinians," Abdallah said. For more than 50 years, Palestinians have continued to reside in refugee camps in areas of the Middle East -- Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, said Abdallah. "Never in history have we called attention to Palestinians living in refugee camps; we continue to condone it. We must work to educate the ELCA and encourage the church to take this plight seriously," he said.
Some of the chief issues are how to develop new church leaders in the Middle East and United States, and how to encourage young people to stay in Palestine and remain active in the church, said Abdallah.
Subjects presented by other speakers included the ELCJ's youth programs; an analysis of the current Palestinian political situation; the work of the Lutheran church among Palestinian women; issues in Judaism; the relationship between Islam and Christianity and their positive aspects in Palestine; and the Muslim-Christian relations in the United States, said Abdallah.
In addition to hearing speeches, participants engaged in worship and traveled to Beit Jallah, Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Participants visited Dihesheh, a Palestinian refugee camp. Constructed more than 50 years ago by the United Nations, Dihesheh is home to 10,000 people in one-square mile, said Abdallah. We saw both the original United Nations cement block housing and recent multi-floor houses, he said.
Participants also visited Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem. The hospital has 164 beds, 50 surgical beds and an intensive care unit. About 80 percent of the patients there are Palestinian refugees.
"I believe that the sons and daughters of the Arab-speaking world should have the right to live without racism. I believe this will not be possible without all of us working together," the Rev. Frederick E.N. Rajan, executive director, ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries, told participants.
The conference received greetings from Grace El-Yateem, Brooklyn, N.Y., president of ALAMEH; Dr. Ryan A. LaHurd, president of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, N.C.; the Rev. Will L. Herzfeld, associate executive director, ELCA Division for Global Mission, Chicago; and Hanna Nasser, mayor of Bethlehem. Lenoir-Rhyne is one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA.
In his greeting, LaHurd outlined the goals of ALAMEH. They are to provide "social, cultural and educational activities for its members; advocacy on Arab and Middle Eastern issues; support for Middle Eastern cultural values in the ELCA; support a 'ministry of reconciliation' among all people, but especially the people of the Middle East; offer expertise and consultation for ELCA units on matters related to the Middle East and its people; and support efforts for peace and justice," LaHurd said.
He said ALAMEH considers "a large part of its ministry to be educating members of the ELCA on issues related to Arab and Middle Eastern people."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELC