wfn.org | U.S. Church Leaders to Deliver Aid to Jenin, Bethlehem April 25

["Nat'l Council of Churches" <nccc_usa@ncccusa.org>]

U.S. CHURCH LEADERS TO DELIVER AID TO JENIN, BETHLEHEM APRIL 25

A church leaders delegation organized by the (U.S.) National Council of
Churches plans to visit Palestinian and Israeli hospitals and to deliver
humanitarian assistance to Jenin and Bethlehem on Thursday, April 25, 2002.

The 14-member delegation, in Israel/Palestine April 23-27 during a 12-day
peace and pastoral mission to the Middle East, will divide into two groups:

GROUP ONE: Leaves Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center (opposite New Gate) at 5:30
a.m. and expects to arrive in Jenin around 8:30 a.m.  The group will
accompany aid donated by several church-related and other humanitarian aid
groups.

Participating: Dr. Bob Edgar, NCC General Secretary and a United Methodist
minister, of Leonia, N.J.; the Rev. Jim Wetekam, a United Church of Christ
minister and Media Program Director for Churches for Middle East Peace,
Washington, D.C.; James Edward Winkler, General Secretary, United Methodist
Board of Church and Society, Washington, D.C., and the Rt. Rev. Arthur
Edward Walmsley, The Episcopal Church, Deering, N.H.

GROUP TWO: Leaves Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center at 8 a.m. to visit Israeli
and Palestinian hospitals.  Heads for Bethlehem District at 1 p.m. to
deliver aid in conjunction with the Near East Council of Churches.

Participating: Rev. Janet Arbesman, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),
Scottsdale, Ariz.; Bishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocese of the Armenian Church,
Washington, D.C.; Mark Byron Brown, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
Washington, D.C.; Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister, The
Riverside Church, New York City; Rev. Joseph Rice Hale, United Methodist
Church, Waynesville, N.C.; Mrs. Elenie Huszagh, NCC president and a Greek
Orthodox lay leader, Nehalem, Ore.; Rev. Robert S. Jones, National Baptist
Convention U.S.A., Inc., West Chester, Pa.; His Eminence Cyril Aphrem Karim,
Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch for the Eastern United
States, Teaneck, N.J.; Rev. William Shaw, President, National Baptist
Convention U.S.A., Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.

-end-
Media Contacts:
In Jerusalem, Jim Wetekam: Mobile (011) 4-4787-635-8534; Hotel (972)
2-627-9111
Jerusalem host: Ramzi Zananiri, International Christian Committee,
Jerusalem:
Mobile: (011) 972-50-662-027; Office: (011) 972-2-628-8857/8 E-mail:
iccjer@netvision.net.il
In New York, NCC/CWS News, 212-870-2252/2227; E-mail: news@ncccusa.org