HCEF Awards: ‘Feeding Jesus’ Sheep’ On the Path to Peace in the Holy Land President

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    Four individuals and a Catholic parish were given awards by the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation “for their significant contributions to the Christian presence in the Holy Land” at HCEF’s ninth annual conference, held in Washington in late October, 2007.

    In a speech at the conference banquet, HCEF President Rateb Rabie saluted the honorees and “everyone else who works for the building of peace in the Holy Land.” 

    HCEF presented an award to St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, recognizing in particular Monsignor John McSweeney, the pastor, and parishioners Michael and Jane Balbirnie, “who have done an immense amount for the Christians of the Holy Land.”
    
    The other honorees were Rev. Robert Waller, the pastor of St. Andrew Catholic Church in Milford, Ohio; Ms. Patty Parma, the Chair of the HCEF support committee in San Antonio, Texas; Ms. Cindy Brewer, the Chair of HCEF’s support committee in Victoria, Texas; and Dr. Marwan    Muasher, Senior Vice President of the World Bank.

    HCEF President Rabie described those receiving awards as “people who have heard and accepted Jesus’ teaching that those who love Him should feed His sheep.”

    The HCEF banquet’s keynote speaker was Ambassador Afief Safieh, the official representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization to the United States.  In welcoming Ambassador Safieh, HCEF President Rabie noted that the ambassador is expected to participate in the international conference on the Middle East to be held soon in Annapolis, Maryland. 

    “Perhaps I am allowing hope to triumph over experience,” Mr. Rabie said, “but I am guardedly optimistic that the Annapolis conference will be a step toward a just peace, rather than toward the legitimization of conquest and subjugation.”

Mr. Rabie urged that the Annapolis conference “establish a plan for an independent State of Palestine which shares with Israel the Holy City of Jerusalem as a place where Christians, Jews and Muslims may live in peace and harmony.”

    The HCEF President paid special tribute to Ms. Corrine Whitlatch, who is soon to retire as Executive Director of one of HCEF’s sister organizations, Churches for Middle East Peace.  “It would be hard to exaggerate Corrine’s contributions to peace and justice in the Middle East,” Mr. Rabie stated, “and just as hard to exaggerate the respect and affection we have for her.”

 A negative element of the HCEF conference was the absence of Rev. Emil Salayta, one of the co-founders of the foundation.  Rev. Salayta could not attend because of new restrictions imposed by the Israeli Government on Arab religious workers who seek to travel in and out of the occupied territories of Palestine.  

    Mr. Rabie’s banquet speech included mention of several important milestones:

•    A number of individuals and churches that identify themselves as “evangelicals” have begun to participate in HCEF activities.  

•    In 2006, the foundation increased its receipts to over $1.7 million, allowing it to increase its support of programs of education, housing, employment, and social welfare for Christians in the Holy Land.    

•    HCEF has again received the highest rating—four stars—of the Charity Navigator, an independent body that evaluates the efficiency of non-profit organizations like HCEF.

•    After several months of travel and research in the Holy Land, William and Carolyn Yontz have prepared a report on the situation of Christians there.  Edited by HCEF Director Dr. Saliba Sarsar and published by HCEF under the title, “Living Under Fire: Christian Clergy and Congregations in the Holy Land,” the report is now available from HCEF.

•    This year, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a prominent civil rights organization, bestowed its “Faith and Tolerance Award” on HCEF.  The award recognizes HCEF’s collaboration with other institutions and individuals to encourage cooperation and peacemaking in the region; to correct distorted stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims; and to improve Christian-Muslim understanding.

    
    The text of HCEF President Rabie’s banquet speech may be found at www.hcef.org.