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Palestinian Pastor Named Candidate for Presbyterian Moderator
07-Mar-02
Contact: Robert Younes, M.D.
301-983-3022, 301-951-9400
younes@hcef.org
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)*
News Release
Palestinian Pastor Named Candidate for Presbyterian Moderator
The Greater Atlanta Presbytery has named Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, mission pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, the third candidate for moderator of the upcoming 214th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Rev. Abu-Akel is a member and cofounder of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation Committee in Atlanta, Georgia.
With the presbytery's unanimous vote, Abu-Akel, a US citizen born in Kuffer Yassif, Galilee, Israel, joins Rev. Laird Stuart of San Francisco Presbytery and Rev. Jerry Tankersley of Los Ranchos Presbytery as announced candidates for the Assembly's top elected office. The election will take place on June 15 in Columbus, Ohio.
The son of Christian Palestinian parents, Abu-Akel has devoted his life and work to the ministry of hospitality. He founded and is executive director of the Atlanta Ministry of International Students, an ecumenical organization of Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists and Episcopalians that provides hospitality in Atlanta to more than 5000 college students from more than 140 countries. He is also director of the National Christmas International House Program, which provides homes during the holidays for more than 250 international students in 32 cities nationwide.
Abu-Akel was a commissioner to the 1986 General Assembly and helped found the Presbyterian Church's Middle Eastern Caucus. He also served three years on the Initiative Team on Racism and Racial Violence that produced Facing Racism: A Vision of the Beloved Community, a document approved by the 1999 General Assembly.
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The Holy land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is an all-volunteer 501c3 organization with the mission of informing Americans about the ongoing plight of Christians in the Holy Land and provides humanitarian assistance to relieve suffering, educational support and assists in job creation.
( The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax exempt, non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land by developing bonds of solidarity with Christians in the United States. HCEF, PO Box 6687, Silver Spring, MD 20906. (301) 871-9222, Fax (301) 871-2277. www.hcef.org. Email: news@hcef.org, Toll Free (866) 871-4233
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