Historic Agreement Between Middle East Lutheran and Reformed Churches
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and Reformed (Presbyterian and congregational) churches in the Middle East, signed an agreement of full communion, 26 January 2006. ELCJHL Bishop, Dr Munib A. Younan was among the seven church representatives who signed "The Amman Declaration - A Historical Agreement Between the Lutheran and Reformed Churches in the Middle East" in the Jordanian capital. It was initiated by the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches.
Younan, who was instrumental in getting the churches to unite and agree, stressed the agreement's significance, saying "the Christian church has a crucial role to play in the Middle East."
Other churches represented include the Synod of the Nile, Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Egypt; Synod of the Evangelical Church in Iran; National Evangelical Church in Kuwait; National Evangelical Union of Lebanon; National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon; and the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East.
An ELCJHL news release noted, "The churches have mutually recognized one another's ministries and agreed upon a declaration of faith including beliefs in the Trinitarian God, justification by faith, the sacraments and the preaching of the gospel. They have agreed to mutual participation in one another's worship, concelebration of the Sacraments, common prophetic witness for justice and peace and other joint activities that will promote ecumenical and interfaith witness and service to God's people in our lands."
The 3,000-member ELCJHL joined the LWF in 1974. (248 words)
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