wfn.org | Presbyterian Middle East Caucus Organizes 14-August-1996

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96295       Presbyterian Middle East Caucus Organizes 
 
                          by Alexa Smith 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--More than 100 membership forms were carried out of the 
first meeting of the Middle East Caucus of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 
to be passed along to prospective members of the newly created 
organization. 
 
     The caucus' organizational meeting was held in conjunction with the 
1996 Racial Ethnic Convocation here Aug. 1-4.  The Middle East Caucus -- 
created by the recent General Assembly in Albuquerque -- becomes the fifth 
racial-ethnic caucus in the denomination.  The others are Asian, Black, 
Hispanic and Native American. 
 
     "Once we were on the margins of the system," caucus president the Rev. 
Fuad Bahnan told the gathering of about 20 Presbyterians of Middle Eastern 
descent.  "Today we are fully recognized ... but we're not really a caucus 
yet because we don't have the membership," he added, urging participants to 
recruit members for the caucus from the PC(USA)'s nearly two dozen 
Arabic-speaking congregations and informal fellowships. 
 
     Acknowledging that the caucus' membership will be drawn from all 
Arabic-speaking Presbyterians -- stretching beyond what is familiarly 
referred to as the Middle East to include Sudan, Turkey and Iran -- the 
Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel of Atlanta added, "Our name dictates our inclusiveness 
 ...  it's not Arabic Christians, but Middle East Christians." 
 
     The caucus' diversity is also reflected in the multiple visions it has 
of its work.  The group hopes to reach Middle Easterners in the United 
States, to interpret the Middle East for Americans and to bridge gaps 
between the U.S. and Christians living in the Middle East. 
 
     "It's normal for Presbyterians to care about Middle Eastern people. 
We have a history of mission among these people for the last 160 years," 
Abu-Akel told the Presbyterian News Service.   
 
     He noted the rising number of immigrants to this country from the 
Middle East.  "To rise to the occasion, to minister to them while they are 
in our presence, is just the right thing to do," Abu-Akel insisted.  "We 
can't say,  We'll minister to you while you're in Egypt, but when you come 
to the U.S.  we couldn't care less.'" 
 
     Creating Arabic-speaking services and fellowships are terribly 
important to new immigrants, Abu-Akel continued.  "The first 20 to 30 years 
of their lives [after immigrating] are very tender years," he said.  "They 
are years of adjustment." 
 
     But ministry to immigrants does not mean forgetting those Christians 
who continue to live in the Middle East, according to Bahnan.  He believes 
the caucus needs to concentrate on counteracting the violent stereotypes 
held by many Americans about Arabs and generating support for those 
Christians who remain caught in the seemingly endless turmoil in the Middle 
East. 
 
     "We want to arouse the interest of members of the PC(USA) in the 
actual situation in the Middle East, to create solidarity for the minority 
who are caught in the cross fire there," he told the Presbyterian News 
Service.  "The Christian minority needs solidarity, not lip service. 
 
     "Because of the political situation and the kind of struggle going on 
in the Middle East, the Christians are a tiny minority caught between two 
large communities -- Jews and Muslims," Bahnan told the Presbyterian News 
Service.  He stressed that a Christian message of reconciliation and peace 
needs to be heard in a climate that has long been dominated by "an 
eye-for-an-eye style of politics." 
      
     Bahnan said the stereotyped image of Arab terrorists needs to be 
countered by people having contact with Arabs who hold more moderate views. 
 
     Participants in the organizational meeting each left with five to 10 
membership forms to take back to their congregations.  "It is very 
important that we've reached this point," said the Rev. Sami Said Girgis of 
Lyndhurst, N.J.   
 
     Girgis, who has been active in efforts to create the caucus for many 
years, said, "The Presbyterian Church has said to us,  You have reached the 
point where you are being recognized as a mature branch of this church. 
Now we expect some fruit.'" 

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