Join us in supporting the "Standing in Hope" campaign by Opportunity Palestine to aid the ELCJHL schools in the West Bank during the current crisis. With schools closed and families facing economic hardships, your generosity can provide essential scholarship assistance. Learn more about how you can contribute to this vital cause and stand in solidarity with the students and educators during this Advent Season.
Read MoreThe Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem have issued a statement for the upcoming Advent and Christmas season amidst the ongoing war. They urge congregations to focus on the spiritual essence of these holy seasons, calling for a shift away from grand festive activities to a more contemplative and prayerful observance. The statement emphasizes solidarity with those affected by the war, advocating for prayer, support, and generous contributions to aid war victims. Read the full statement here.
Read MoreIn the midst of escalating tensions in the Holy Land, Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land speaks on the challenges facing the local community during the ongoing conflict. Despite fear and uncertainty, Reformation Day was observed in Jerusalem's Church of the Redeemer, a beacon of hope and ecumenism in troubled times. Bishop Azar calls for prayers and a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation.
Read MoreIn consultation with partners on the ground, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) made a very tough but prudent decision to evacuate YAGM personnel, including the 5 Young Adults in Global Mission from the Holy Land and the country coordinators. We are relieved to share that everyone is safe.
The images coming out of the news are heartbreaking and we extend our prayers to the Palestinian and Israeli people who have lost loved ones and are living in fear and uncertainty.
Read MoreWe share a video message to the ELCA from Bishop Sani-Ibrahim Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Read More“As Lutherans, we are accustomed to holding tension between two truths. Thus the ELCA denounces the egregious acts of Hamas, acts that have led to unspeakable loss of life and hope. At the same time the ELCA denounces the indiscriminate retaliation of Israel against the Palestinian people, both Christian and Muslim.”
Things you can do:
Find updated resources and statements from the ELCA here.
Join our partner Churches for Middle East Peace for prayer every Wednesday from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Eastern time. Register here.
Call your lawmakers today through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and urge them to take action to deescalate the conflict and uphold unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza. Find your member of Congress at govtrak.
Support Lutheran Disaster Response here.
In a letter to Bishop Dr. Sani Ibrahim-Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton offers the support, prayers and advocacy efforts of the ELCA. Read Bishop Eaton’s full letter here, as well as Bishop Dr. Azar’s statement.
Read MoreAs presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, I join my colleague, the Rev. Dr. Sani Ibrahim Azar, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, in being "deeply dismayed at the ongoing Israeli military incursions into Palestinian communities, especially in the city and refugee camp of Jenin."
Read MoreWe stand together as Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders in the United States to condemn the recent rise in anti-Christian hate in the Holy Land, including the vandalism of a Protestant cemetery on Jan. 1, and graffiti threatening "Death to Christians" that appeared last week both in and near the Armenian quarter in Jerusalem.
These and other actions taken to erase the presence of Christians in the Holy Land, which would be devastating to us all. May the God of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar comfort our Christian siblings in the place we all believe is holy and give us courage as we speak with one voice against religious bigotry.
Read MoreThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) is making history by ordaining the first woman pastor in Palestine. Listen to local scholars and clergy, as well as international partners to the church, discuss the cultural significance of this event, as well as its theological and biblical importance.
Read MoreClick here to watch the livestream of the Ordination of Sally Azar at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem, February 22, 2023, 6am MST, 5am PST. The same link will show a replay of the service after it has ended.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land will ordain Ms. Sally Azar to be a Reverend in the church, becoming the first female pastor in Palestine.
Read MoreOn Sunday the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) will for the first time ordain a woman into pastoral ministry, Sally Azar. I invite you to join in the celebration by watching this short documentary about what women’s ordination means for the ELCJHL, and the livestream of the ordination service, which will begin at 7 a.m. Central time.
Read MoreSally Azar, LWF Council Member and graduate of intercultural theology in Göttingen talks about her upcoming ordination and how she hopes it will promote greater gender justice in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
Read MoreThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land sings Come All Ye' Faithful as part of the Lutheran World Federation’s hymns of Advent & Christmas.
Read MoreThe Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement in support of HM King Abdullah II following his speech at the UN Assembly in NY on September 20, 2022. The speech raised concerns about threats to the Christian presence in Jerusalem.
Read MoreWe share a greeting from Rev. S. Ibrahim Azar, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) to the 2022 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
Read MorePeace Not Walls shares responses to the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh from Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage, Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar, and World Council of Churches. Read and listen to NPR coverage here.
Read MorePrompted to remember those who have died of the virus, Bishop Azar launched a memorial to plant an olive or native tree for every person lost to COVID-19. The Tree of Life initiative was announced in December and launched in late March. The initiative is managed the Environmental Education Center, an educational ministry of the ELCJHL. Read the full Lutheran World Federation story here.
Read MoreAs we go through Holy Week, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land’s Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar shares his Easter message based on Mark 16:3 “Who will roll the stone away for us?”. View as PDF.
Read MoreEvangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Bishop Ibrahim Azar speaks to us from the Old City of Jerusalem about the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the inequitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines.
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