JERUSALEM/GENEVA, 31 August 2005 (LWI) * Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) has called for a self critical analysis of individual churches and other religions, in order for dialogue among religions to contribute to peaceful co-existence in the world.

“Extremists are vocal and can hijack justice. We should not allow them to do this,” Younan told journalists prior to the opening of this year’s LWF Council meeting taking place in and Jerusalem and Bethlehem, August 31-September 6. The ELCJHL bishop addressed the media representatives jointly with LWF President, Bishop Mark S. Hanson and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko.

Around 170 participants are attending this year’s Council meeting hosted by the ELCJHL under the theme, “The Church Called to a Ministry of Reconciliation.” This theme was first proposed for the 2001 meeting after the ELCJHL formally invited the LWF Council to hold its annual meeting in the Holy Land. Subsequent change of venue to other places since was necessary in view of a non-conducive political situation in the region.

Younan, also LWF Vice-President for the Asian region, stressed the significance of the Lutheran communion for the ELCJHL not just individually as an LWF member church but also for the Christian community and for dialogue with other religions, in a region in which Christians are a minority. “Your coming here strengthens us and is important for [inter-religious] dialogue,” he said in reference to the respective dialogues with Muslims and Jews.

Call for Bridges of Peace Not Walls

Commenting on the barrier separating Israel from Palestinian territory in order protect Israel from Palestinian suicide bombers, the Lutheran bishop said this was not a solution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. “He stressed the need for peace saying: “We want peace not walls. Walls divide, peace builds bridges.” He described the Palestinian community as a good example of religious co-existence to other parts of the world saying, “our people*Muslims and Christians have always lived side.”

The LWF Council host church ELCJHL has six congregations in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Ramallah and Amman the Jordanian capital. It is committed to ecumenical and inter-religious service and dialogue as critical in helping to promote peace and reconciliation. The Lutheran church, like others churches in the region, faces many challenges especially the emigration of Palestinian Christians due to the harsh restrictions of the Israeli occupation.

Hanson described the theme of this year’s Council meeting, “The Church Called to a Ministry of Reconciliation,” as befitting in view of the event’s venue and also important because the world’s focus is so often on the Middle East. To stand in solidarity with Palestinian Christians, he noted is particularly important during this time.

The theme, he said, challenged the LWF governing body at this meeting “to speak the truth” concerning several issues among them occupation, violence and the separation wall. “Yes, the wall protects some, but it separates others,” Hanson said. He noted that freedom and justice for the Palestinian people is dependent on a secure Israel, inasmuch as a secure Israel is also dependent on these very principles.

Affirmation of Roadmap for Peace

In view of the Council’s discussions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and particularly the impact of the separation wall on the Palestinian people, Noko said the Roadmap peace process remained an important issue for the LWF. He reiterated the LWF’s position on Jerusalem as a city of two peoples [Israelis and Palestinians] and the three monotheistic religions [Christianity, Islam and Judaism] governing body would be making a statement on the wall. These issues will be addressed when the LWF leaders meet during this week with the President of Israel and the President of the Palestinian Authority.

Noko said the Council will also be discussing the status of the LWF-run Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem in view of a courts case over a tax exemption agreement. The LWF is challenging the intent to revoke a tax exemption agreement between the hospital and the State of Israel. If this tax exempt status were to be lifted, the AVH would be required to remit some USD 400,000 annually, which would threaten the existence of the hospital that cares mainly for refugees from Palestinian territories.

Other items on the Council’s agenda include a decision on the venue of the next Assembly; reports on the Strategic Planning Process; the Future of the LWF in the Context of Ecumenical Reconfiguration; the Proposed Ecumenical Alliance for Development (PEAD); and an Interim Report of the Task Force on Family, Marriage and Sexuality.

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There are around 170 participants in this year’s Council meeting, including representatives from the LWF member churches on the 49-member governing body. Also attending are officials from LWF partner organizations, invited guests, stewards, interpreters and translators, and LWF staff. The Council is the annual governing body meeting between Assemblies held every six years. The current Council was appointed at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. It comprises the President, Treasurer and 48 persons elected by the Assembly. Other members include advisors, who are ordained and lay persons representing the different LWF regions.

During the Council Meeting, the LWF Office for Communication Services can be reached at mobile telephone No. +52 378 1673

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(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138 member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a total membership of nearly 66 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

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