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Christian Presence in the Holy Land

 

What's at Stake | Stories | Act Now | The Church's Voice | Background & Links | International Law

Being church in the Holy Land: (left) Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, (middle) Science fair at ELCJHL school Dar al-Kalima, (right) Dialogue between Israelis & Palestinians co-sponsored by the church in Jerusalem.

The Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, ELCJHL Bishop and LWF President on Palestinian Christian Presence in the Holy Land

International Law

"Protected persons are entitled, in all circumstances, to respect for their persons, their honor, their family rights, their religious convictions and practices, and their manners and customs. They shall at all times be humanely treated, and shall be protected especially against all acts of violence or threats thereof and against insults and public curiosity."
    - Fourth Geneva Convention, Art. 27 (12 August 1949)

The future of Palestinian Christianity is not in occupation, violence, war or extremism. It is in a just peace, for we believe that Christ has come to give us life, and life abundantly. More and more Muslim leaders from the Gulf to Tunisia are agreeing that the Arab world is not complete without the Christian presence. King Abdullah II of Jordan told a group of 170 Muftis and Muslim scholars in July of 2005 in Amman that Arab Christians are the 'glue' that holds Arab society together and that we guarantee the presence of civil, democratic society here.

- The Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, ELCJHL Bishop and LWF President
The Future of Palestinian Christianity, May, 2007

What's at Stake

Palestinian Christians have been part of the church since the first Pentecost, though many people do not even know they exist. Their presence, however, has dwindled from 15-20% of the area's population to now less than 2%. The major reason cited for emigration is the political and economic instability of the region due largely to the Israeli occupation. Though many think Muslim persecution is driving Christians out of the Holy Land, most leaders and people say those incidents are limited to individual, isolated events and are not a major cause of Palestinian Christian emigration.

A key challenge for Palestinian Christians is the influence of "occupation theologies" that deny their right as Christians to the land, based on the Genesis account of God giving the land to Abraham and the Jewish people. These kinds of theologies, especially "Christian Zionism," are especially hurtful since they use Christians' own beloved scriptures against them.

Palestinian Christians are an integral part of Palestinian society and of the fabric of Jerusalem, a city holy to Christians, Muslims and Jews. In addition, they play a key role in promoting interfaith dialogue, reconciliation, and peace-building. The global church is called to support its Palestinian sisters and brothers in Christ.

Stories: The Human Face of the Conflict

Rev. Raheb in broken window after 2002 siege.
From brokenness to hope: Creating facts on the ground of hope

In 1995, a new ministry of the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem was born: the International Center in Bethlehem. Pastor Mitri Raheb and others in Bethlehem had a dream of a place where Palestinian culture, arts and empowerment would develop new leaders.  In the wake of the Oslo accords, Pastor Raheb was able to rally support to build a new complex of a school (to eventually also house a Health and Wellness Center and a college) and a conference and cultural center. The ICB was still being finished when the 2nd intifada deteriorated into a reoccupation of most Palestinian cities in 2002. During the siege of the Church of the Nativity and this reoccupation, the ICB was heavily damaged and Pastor Raheb and his family, as well as all of the people in Bethlehem, lived under siege for a long time. After this, a new focus on bringing hope and healing emerged, with a new slogan: "Destruction may be: creativity and continuity shall be."
 
Ornament made from broken glass.
As a symbol of this, the ICB gathered the shattered glass that filled the streets of Bethlehem and created Angels of Hope, glass ornaments that symbolized the new life that can come out of brokenness.  These are still available at their gift shop and website.

Since then, the facilities have expanded so that a total of 191,359 sq ft have been constructed so far. The staff has grown from 4 in 1995 to almost 100, making it the third largest private employer in Bethlehem. The outreach ministries have expanded tremendously. The number of direct beneficiaries grew from less than 1000 persons in 1995 to almost 60,000 in 2006. Geographically speaking, the ICB started in Bethlehem city, expanded to the whole Bethlehem region, and started working on becoming a national player throughout the West Bank. International outreach has widened as well. Friendship associations were created in Denmark (2000), Germany (2001), and USA (2004).

 
Dar al-Kalima college design.
All of this growth found its expression in the number of new facilities created within this decade:

* 1995 Opening of Dar an-Nadwa
* 1999 Opening of Al-Kahf Arts & Crafts Center
* 2000 Opening of Dar al-Kalima School
* 2003 Opening of Ad-Dar Cultural & Conference Center
* 2003 Opening of Dar al-Kalima Health & Wellness Center
* 2004 Opening of Il’Iliyeh Restaurant & al-Kuz Coffee shop
* 2005 Opening of Bethlehem Media Center
* 2006 Opening of Dar al-Kalima College
* 2008 Opening of Dar al-Balad

The new Dar al Kalima college campus, the largest building project in Bethlehem in years,  is close to completion of phase I and should be dedicated soon.  The college offers courses in tour-guiding, music, glass and ceramics, contemporary fine art, jewelry and documentary film-making. These ministries not only bring employment and empowerment, but are helping raise a new generation of leaders through youth leadership programs and cultural exchanges. Pastor Raheb believes that "hope is not something you just have, it's something you do."  May God continue to bless these ministries and the people they serve to bring hope in the midst of occupation and oppression.
I have a dream that I will one day wake up and see two equal peoples living next to each other, coexisting in the land of Palestine, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Jordan....I have a dream of two peoples who are not separated by a wall. The security of both peoples can only be guaranteed by a just peace. Without peace there is no security and no survival.”

Pastor Mitri Raheb

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Act Now

Palestinian Christians are suffering hardships and in some cases are choosing to leave the Holy Land as they experience the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. You can help by

  • raising awareness about this important community and their desire to remain a vital part of the "living stones" of the Holy Land;
  • advocating for free expression of religion in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories;
  • advocating for freedom of movement and access for Palestinian and expatriate clergy and lay persons serving the diverse Christian ministries in the region;
  • advocating for free access to Christian holy sites for all Palestinian Christians, regardless of their current residency status.

The Church's Voice

Bishop Munib Younan

"Likewise, we in the ELCHJL feel we have an important mission in our society. Like Mary, we stay in this land dying for peace and justice. As Jesus called Mary as his apostle of the resurrection, so we Palestinian Christians are called as apostles of hope despite our struggle, despite our hopelessness. Our congregations, schools and centers play an important role in providing hope and developing Palestinian society. Our parishioners’ daily struggle to maintain a Palestinian Christian witness in this land is an encouragement to our many partners and friends all over the world. Our efforts at building bridges between Palestinians and Israelis prepare us to live together peacefully after a political settlement is reached. Our dialogue with Muslims and Jews inspires other Christians to cross borders to build peace in this broken world. As St. Paul says of Jesus, “In his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us” (Ephesians 2:14b)." - Easter message 2010

Kairos Palestine

"1.3 Emigration is another element in our reality. The absence of any vision or spark of hope for peace and freedom pushes young people, both Muslim and Christian, to emigrate. Thus the land is deprived of its most important and richest resource – educated youth. The shrinking number of Christians, particularly in Palestine, is one of the dangerous consequences, both of this conflict, and of the local and international paralysis and failure to find a comprehensive solution to the problem.

3.3 The Church in our land, her leaders and her faithful, despite her weakness and her divisions, does show certain signs of hope. Our parish communities are vibrant and most of our young people are active apostles for justice and peace. In addition to the individual commitment, our various Church institutions make our faith active and present in service, love and prayer." - The Kairos Palestine Document: A moment of truth - A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering December 2009.

Background

Maundy Thursday procession in the Old City.
Although our church shares in the body of Christ with all Middle Eastern Christians, the ELCA is in a formal accompaniment relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). The ELCJHL is led by Bishop Munib Younan, and its congregations are located in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, and Ramallah, and in Amman, Jordan. See more of the ELCJHL 's history and mission.

The ELCJHL's five schools teach Muslims and Christians together, preparing future Palestinian leaders committed to responsible citizenship, peace, and reconciliation. Muslims make up one-third to one-half of the students depending on the school, and the schools work hard to foster mutual understanding and tolerance as well. Related to the ELCJHL's Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem is the DIYAR consortium, "a group of Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented institutions serving the whole Palestinian community 'from the womb to the tomb,' with an emphasis on children, youth, women & elders."

DIYAR's 2008 study, Palestinian Christians: Facts, Figures and Trends estimates the number of Palestinian Christians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, is 1.37% (pop. 51,710) of the Palestinian population. That represents a dramatic decline from 7-10% in the 1950s. Christian emigration is a central concern for our Lutheran companions in the Holy Land and thus for the ELCA. Christians cite as reasons for leaving the region the pressures of the occupation, lack of freedom and security, and bad economic conditions (p. 35).

The seeds for this Lutheran Christian presence in the Holy Land extend back to the mid First Century, when the followers of Jesus Christ led the First Century Jewish movement that spread to become worldwide Christianity. Acts 2 reports that the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was witnessed by Arabs and Middle Easterners along with others living in the multi-ethnic Roman province of Palestine. "Three thousand people" were added to the body of Christ that day, in a sense initiating the story of Christianity in today’s Middle East (Acts 2:41).

Redeemer Lutheran Church was built by Prussian Kaiser Wilhelm, who attended the dedication in 1898. He was the first western ruler of modern times to come to Jerusalem and he personally dedicated the new church. Now, Redeemer is home to the Arabic congregation, the German congregation and an English-speaking international congregation.
By the 4th C. Bethlehem was almost exclusively Christian, and numerous monastic communities dotted the Holy Land. The 1054 schism of the Eastern and Western churches was followed by the 16th C. Protestant Reformation. In the 1800s Eastern Orthodoxy was still the largest single Christian presence, accounting for about 90% of Christians in the Holy Land. The mid-1800s arrival of Anglican and Lutheran missionaries and building of schools and hospitals encouraged the creation of indigenous Protestant churches, and now the Holy Land also has Nazarene, Presbyterian, Baptist and evangelical churches. Arab Christians in Palestine became Lutherans in part because of their education in the German-run schools. First a mission church, in 1959 these Lutherans became an officially recognized and autonomous body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan. In 2005 the name was expanded by the words "and the Holy Land."

The “ministry of reconciliation” is entrusted to all Christians in 2 Corinthians. And so we North American Christians are called to be peacemakers who are, in the words of Bishop Younan, neither pro-Israeli nor pro-Palestinian, but pro-justice. In our empathetic identification with Lutherans in the Holy Land we remember especially 1 Corinthians 12:26—"If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it."

See these links for more information about the Christian Presence in the Holy Land:

Resources:

Relevant International Law

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
    - Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art. 18 (adopted by UN General Assembly 10 December 1948)

Family honor and rights, the lives of persons and private property, as well as religious convictions and practice, must be respected.
    - The Hague Convention, Section IV, Annex, Art. 46 (18 October 1907)

Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.
    - The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Art. 12 (16 December 1966)

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