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Holy Land Delegates Bring Messages of Hope and Challenge to HCEF'S 5th International Conference
30-Oct-03
Contact: Robert Younes, M.D.
(301) 983 3022, 301-951-9400
younes@hcef.org
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation*
News Release
Holy Land Delegates Bring Messages of Hope and Challenge to HCEF'S 5th International Conference
THE RESULTS
Nearly 400 persons from several continents and many countries were transfixed by messages of extreme challenge and hope during the four events of HCEF's 5th International Conference on October 24-25, 2003 in Washington, D.C. Conference attendees have already committed to increasing their solidarity with Holy Land Christians in the following ways:
- two Presbyterian churches have made a pledge to start new church partnerships this year
- a university president opened a dialogue for participating in the College Sponsorship Program (which provides scholarships for Palestinian Christians to attend Palestinian colleges or universities)
- five people registered for the HCEF Pilgrimage in January
- several churches in the United States have requested speakers for their worship services
- new North American church partners have offered to sponsor Holy Land students for a visit to the United States with their partner schools/churches
THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Dr. Timothy P. Shriver, President and Chairman of Special Olympics International, addressed two dozen regional leaders in HCEF's Holy Land Christian Support Network (HCSN) at the inaugural HCSN Leadership Institute. The Institute preceded the opening session of the conference. Dr. Shriver encouraged these grass roots leaders to realize the power in the emotional and spiritual connection. He recalled famed anthropologist Margaret Mead's counsel that even a few motivated individuals coming together for a worthy cause, can literally change the world. The Institute produced a working committee to continue the interactive communication among regional leaders about how to grow HCEF's programs on behalf of Holy Land Christians.
THE SPEAKERS
National Presbyterian Church, HCEF partner-host of this conference for four consecutive years, offered a beautiful, spiritual setting for the many sessions, featuring education, cultural sharing, emotional connection, and sober consideration of the challenges facing Holy Land Christians. The conference theme, Holy Land Christians: A Living Bridge to Peace, was reflected in riveting testimony from speakers, including: internationally recognized scholars, authors and spiritual leaders from many denominations; champions of the rights of Holy Land Christians; and leading educators. A special highlight of the conference included eyewitness accounts by Three Women from Jerusalem - a Jew, a Muslim and a Palestinian Christian - whose depictions of the stark challenges facing Holy Land Christians and Muslims made clear why HCEF's programs of support for Holy Land Christians are so critical. The tour of these women is sponsored by Partners for Peace, and their statement is available at the HCEF website at: http://www.hcef.org/index.cfm/mod/news/ID/17/SubMod/NewsView/NewsID/1022.cfm
While Holy Land Christians represent only 2% of the population of the Holy Land, they represent a much greater percentage of the promise of the future of the Holy Land. The essential elements of the Christian faithful qualify and encourage them to act uniquely as peacemakers and to serve as a bridge between parties in conflict. As keynote speaker, Abuna Elias Chacour reminded attendees, "Minority is an inappropriate and useless reference to Christians in the Holy Land. As in the time of Jesus, quality of the faithful and our efforts to bring about peace with justice is what's important." He was emphatic about the need for ecumenical unity as we move toward a stable future for both Palestinians and Israelis. You can learn more about Abuna Chacour's newest accomplishment, the first Christian Arab Israeli University in Israel, at the HCEF website at: http://www.hcef.org/index.cfm/mod/news/id/17/submod/newsview/NewsID/996.cfm
THE YOUTH SUMMIT
Conference attendees were literally brought to their feet in an emotional outpouring of spirit and support for the youth who presented an allegory of A Living Bridge to Peace. Eighth grade students from Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, joined with their sister church friends from Milford, Ohio in HCEF's first ever Youth Summit, coordinated by Erin Maya (Laurel, MD). The youth participation in the conference was sponsored by St. Andrew Parish in Milford, OH. During the closing session of the conference plenary, the youth constructed a wall of despair from cardboard boxes that they had designed, only to replace the wall with pillars of hope moments later. Said Father Emil Salayta, co-founder of HCEF, "These young people have shown us poignantly and truthfully the path that must be taken." The youth plan on sharing their allegory with others upon their return to the Holy Land.
THE PROGRESS
Sir Rateb Rabie, President and Chairman of HCEF, declared that all of the major goals of this conference had been met. This included educating more people about the needs of Holy Land Christians and the opportunity to help maintain Christian presence in the Holy Land; recruitment of additional leaders and volunteers to realize HCEF's goals on a greater scale; promoting the highly successful programs of HCEF; and, providing a spiritually rewarding and encouraging experience for conference attendees. Said Rabie, "We know from our survey work that Holy Land Christians are strong in their Christian beliefs despite overwhelming hardships. However, with four-out-of-five questioning how much Christians outside the Holy Land know or care about them, there is clearly much work to do."
Due to the generosity of Christians in the West, HCEF programs have grown dramatically over a very short time.
- The Child Sponsorship Program supporting education for Christian youth has grown from only 600 sponsored children one year ago to more than 2,800 today
- The Jesus Loves the Children program provided 3,500 Christmas gifts to children in Bethlehem last year. This year, the goal is to provide 15,000 gifts for Christian children throughout the Holy Land.
- Donors allowed HCEF to send a half million dollars to support construction of housing units for 24 families in Beit Jala.
- HCEF's Holy Land Gifts program established a local office in Bethlehem to increase our efficiency at providing a stable source of income for approximately 800 Christian families in the Bethlehem area who practice traditional carving and craftwork. This year, we expect to have $500,000 in gross sales of Holy Land Gifts in North America.
THE AWARDS
The HCEF annual awards presented during the banquet on October 24, 2003 included HCEF Awards given to Mr. Albert Bateh and Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb. Mr Bateh has been a life long supporter of Holy Land Christians. Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb has been pastor of the Christmas Lutheran Church of Bethlehem for more than 10 years and serves as director of the International Center of Bethlehem. The Living Stones Award was presented to the Shrine of St. Jude, Rockville, MD and Catholic Relief Services. The Shrine of St. Jude is a model for a successful partnership between an American Parish and a Parish in the Holy Land. Catholic Relief Services collaborated with HCEF to establish job creation programs that benefit the unemployed in the Holy Land. For a more detailed description of the work of these individuals and institutions, visit: http://www.hcef.org/index.cfm/mod/news/ID/17/SubMod/NewsView/NewsID/1006.cfm
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*The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 organization, committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land through building bonds of solidarity with between Christians in the United States and Christians in the Holy Land. We have two goals: inform Americans about the Christians in the Holy Land and provide humanitarian assistance for the needy in the land where Jesus Christ was born, preached, died and rose again. HCEF, 6935 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 214, Bethesda, MD 20815 (301)951-9400, Toll Free (866) 871-4233 (HCEF), www.hcef.org Email: news@hcef.org
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