wfn.org | U.S. Evangelical Group Announces b Lebanon Declarationb

[JerusalemRelOrgs@aol.com]

Contact:  J. Martin Bailey
Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding
Beirut, Lebanon
Email:  MartBailey@aol.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 23, 2002bA group of American Evangelical Christians has completed a three day conference here with Middle East Church leaders and issued a declaration that rejected ball efforts to demonize our brothers and sisters,b and bstood against repeated political efforts to label some as bevilb, to call others bmen of peace,b and to use Scripture for the purpose of waging war.

They also rejected bany and all forms of violence,b  specifically citing bsanctions, occupation, terrorism and war.b

The evangelicals who are members of various American Protestant and independent churches called for ban end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian territoryb and for bthe lifting of sanctions against our brothers and sisters in Iraq.b

The group, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding, also heard Lebanese Christians and Muslims describe their effective dialogue that has opened channels for collaborative efforts in society.

Led by Professor Gary Burge of Wheaton (Illinois) College, the EMEU annual conference this year was held in collaboration with the Middle East Council of Churches.  The MECC is considered the bmost ecumenical council anywhere in the world,b because it incorporates all four families of churches, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant.  

The EMEU Conference was held at Our Lady of the Mountain Monastery in the Beirut suburb of Jounieh.  The Monastery is an institution of the Maronite Catholic Church which is centered in the mountains of northern Lebanon.

The bLebanon Declarationb was developed jointly with the historic churches of the Middle East, many of which trace their roots to the first Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago.

The full text of the declaration follows:

The Lebanon Declaration
A Statement from a joint conference sponsored by 
Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding and
The Middle East Council of Churches:
bThe Church: A Sign of Hope and Healing in the Middle Eastb
May 19 b 22, 2002
                       Our Lady of the Mountain Monastery, Jounieh

We, members of the Body of the Christ, have gathered in Beirut, Lebanon, for three days of worship, discernment, and fellowship.  We have come b eager guests b as members of Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding and b welcoming hosts b as members of the Middle East Council of Churches. As we face what some would call the clash of civilizations, we, ambassadors for Christ, embrace our prophetic mission to speak truth to power, our pastoral mission to heal the broken and hurting body of Christ, and our ecclesial mission to bear witness to the oneness of the Church.  These incarnate ministries witness to the world that we stand fast to the ancient faith to which we are grateful heirs and which was brought forth from this land.

bGod our Savior desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.b b I Timothy 2:3-4
We affirm that God loves all humanity, and that all people b regardless of race, nation, or religion b are created in the image of God.  This binds the world, makes us children of God, and unites us as brothers and sisters.
We reject all efforts to demonize our brothers and sisters.  We stand against constant political threats to nations and repeated political efforts to label some as bevilb, to call others bmen of peace,b and to use Scripture for the purpose of waging war.

bMy kingdom is not from this world.b b John 18:36
We affirm that the common citizenship of the Church is in the household of God.  It is this citizenship that will gather and does gather us b strangers and aliens all b together in a homeland of grace and truth.
We reject the claims of any earthly kingdom that would attempt to replace the kingdom of God.  We refuse all efforts to establish territorial or national superiority based on military might, economic power, or by a claimed divine decree.

bOn behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.b b II Corinthians 5:21
We affirm the importance of peacemaking through non-violence.  We affirm this not only because of its effectiveness, but because it is faithful to the prophetic, suffering footsteps of Christ.
We reject any and all forms of violence, whether manifested as sanctions, occupation, terrorism, or war.  Violence is a sin that must be expiated, and is an offense to the redemption of the cross.

bBlessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.b b Matthew 5:9
We affirm the crucial role of the Church in establishing glimpses of the kingdom of God on earth.  We urge the Church to make truth, grace, hope, and reconciliation visible in our respective societies.
We reject those voices that would exploit spirituality in the service of nationalism or war-making, and that seek to legitimize conquest as the work of God.

bI have become all things to all peopleb&for the sake of the gospel.b b I Corinthians 9:22-23
We affirm the unique role of the Church in this region, born at Pentecost, which has faithfully safeguarded the witness of the gospel for our benefit and that of generations to come.  We believe that our brothers and sisters, Christians of the Middle East, are the incarnate model of reconciliation as a sign of hope in our efforts to heal what some would call the clash of civilizations.

Taking these commitments into consideration:
We call for:
B7   The lifting of sanctions against our brothers and sisters in Iraq
B7   The end of the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory
B7   The cessation of continued threats by major powers against the people and nations of this region
We covenant:
B7   To tell the story of the Church of the Middle East, as ambassadors for Christ, rejoicing in the vitality of her faithful word and witness
B7   To maintain and sustain the friendships that have developed despite the cultural, linguistic, and denominational barriers that might separate us, and in so doing, set a dynamic model for the use of dialogue in fostering understanding and resolving conflict
B7   To be in solidarity through prayer, ministry, and action with and for all the peoples of the region

All praise and glory to God our Father who has made us one in Christ our crucified and resurrected Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

-end-