CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Augusta Victoria Hospital, a Lutheran-owned and -operated health care facility in Jerusalem, was unable to get patient referrals or schedule diagnostic or surgical procedures because of travel restrictions for people entering the city, said Craig Kippels, hospital administrator, in an Oct. 17 news release. Augusta Victoria Hospital experienced armed conflict on the hospital grounds in late September and has been treating patients injured in Palestinian-Israeli clashes.
Also on Oct. 17 President Clinton announced that Israeli and Palestinian leaders said they would work to halt the violence in the Middle East and said they would consider returning to the peace process.
According to the hospital news release, the West Bank and Gaza were closed, in part because of the Jewish Festival of Succot this week. A parade is normally held during this festival, and access was restricted to prevent possible conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis, the hospital release said. Augusta Victoria Hospital remained on emergency standby.
The hospital is operated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), based in Geneva, Switzerland. The LWF is a global communion of 131 churches representing 59.5 million Lutherans. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), based in Chicago, is a member of the LWF. The LWF and ELCA have protested violent confrontations that occurred on hospital property in the past few weeks and the restrictions on access to the hospital, which serves mostly Palestinians.
"Nearly all of the villages in the West Bank have been cut off, making travel between regions extremely difficult or impossible," the hospital release said. "This is even extended to Gaza airport, which was closed. Palestinians are not allowed to leave the country via land borders or Tel Aviv airport."
Health-care providers were not able to get to their clinics in West Bank villages, the hospital release said. "The LWF Village Health Clinics are an example. Each day the health clinics' team goes out and is turned away at the Israeli checkpoint," the release said.
Two ELCA pastors serving in Jerusalem, the Rev. Michael P. Thomas and the Rev. Susan P. Thomas, assured friends they are safe and are not planning to leave the country. The pastors serve an English-speaking congregation at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. In an Oct. 14 letter they reported the ELCA Division for Global Mission -- in consultation with them and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa.-- decided a seminary intern serving there should return to the United States.
"We are trying to maintain normal life, just as the local people here are," Susan Thomas said in a statement to ELCA News & Information. Last Sunday she said none of their four regular pianists could make it to regular services. "One of them, as a U.S. Consulate dependent, was not allowed by the Consulate to go into the Old City," Susan Thomas said. "One was unable to cross the border into Jerusalem from Bethlehem where he lives. One is part of the Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron where their small group was having worship. One, a Messianic Jew, was celebrating Succot. So Sunday we sang a capella." "Usually we welcome many pilgrims to our services," she continued. "One American group was with us, still continuing on their Holy Land journey, amazed that they were living through such an experience." There is "tremendous uncertainty" for all in the largely expatriate English-speaking congregation, Susan Thomas said. "Many have been sent here with projects tied to the peace process," she said. "If this process is at an end, their reason for being here is surely under scrutiny." Thomas said some members of the Redeemer congregation have experience living in places of unrest in the world and have provided some reassurance to others. "The overwhelming response from churches and individuals, who are keeping us and the leaders and people here in their prayers, is also extremely heartening," she said. "Our large two-sided bulletin board at church is overflowing with e-mail messages of prayer." ----- A list of resources and information related to the Middle East situation are available on the ELCA's Web site at http://www.elca.org/co/mideast.html
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
