27.05.2009
Anniversary Celebrations Mark Lutheran Church Witness in Holy Land
"Living Witness - Creative Diakonia" was the theme of festive gatherings, worship, parades, dances, exhibitions and many other activities, marking three important anniversaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) from 16-17 May 2009.ELCJHL Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan described the anniversary celebrations-50 years of the ELCJHL, 30 years of its Arabic bishopric, and 170 years of evangelical mission in the Holy Land-as a morale boost for church members and for Arab Palestinian Christianity.
"We were thankful that local and international society could appreciate the work of this church and tell us, 'Go forward in what you are doing.' We are thankful for those who worked before us and handed us what they have received," said Younan. "But at the same time, we want to ask our people to continue in this line of serving, because being loyal to our Christian witness, our Christian call and apostolic vocation is in continuity with Christ's call at the ascension, 'Go to the whole world.'"
In his congratulatory message, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) said the ELCJHL was an "integral part of the mother church in Jerusalem; part of an unbroken history of Christian witness and ministry in the Holy Land since the days of Christ's life on earth." He noted the anniversary was also an occasion to celebrate the church's commitment to interfaith dialogue and cooperation and the search for peace in the region and globally.
Younan, LWF vice president for the Asian region, noted the days around the celebration coincided with the visit of the head of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Benedict XVI to the region. "We are very happy, after the visit of the pope, to show that there is a witnessing evangelical Lutheran community that is an integral part of the Christian community in Palestine-Israel, Jordan and the Middle East," added the ELCJHL bishop.
The ELCJHL currently has some 3,000 members. It joined the LWF in 1974. (342 words)
More information about the ELCJHL's 2009 anniversary celebrations is available at:
www.elcjhl.org/Anniversary_default.asp#news
(ELCJHL communication assistant, Allison K. Schmitt, contributed to this article.)
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