wfn.org | Nine ELCA Synod Bishops Preparing for Middle East Visit

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: Nine ELCA Synod Bishops Preparing for Middle East Visit
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>November 24, 2009  

Nine ELCA Synod Bishops Preparing for Middle East Visit
09-265-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Nine synod bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) are preparing to visit Israel and the West Bank
Nov. 28-Dec. 8, as part of the ELCA Conference of Bishops' initiative to
support a churchwide strategy for engagement in the region.

The trip, Bishops' Academy II, includes bishops who were unable or
opted not to join colleagues who traveled to the region in January of
this year.  At that time Israelis and Palestinians were fighting in Gaza,
and the conflict's effect on the bishops' visit was unknown as the
bishops were preparing to begin their trip.

Forty-four bishops attended Bishops' Academy I, representing the
ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).  They visited
the West Bank and Israel, and met with religious, political and community
leaders.  The bishops also visited religious sites. Their visit focused
on support and encouragement for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL).

On this trip the itinerary will be similar.  The bishops will meet
with United Nations representatives; visit and worship with ELCJHL
congregations; meet with groups of Christians, Jews and Muslims; visit
the holocaust memorial Yad Vashem; hold discussions at a synagogue and
participate in a Shabbat service; meet students in Lutheran schools;
visit a refugee camp; plant trees and worship near the Israeli separation
barrier; visit the Lutheran World Federation's Augusta Victoria Hospital
in East Jerusalem; and visit Hebron, a West Bank city where Palestinians
and Israeli settlers reside.

The trip's purposes are to deepen awareness of the situation in the
region; to demonstrate accompaniment by building relationships with
religious groups to promote peace; and to strengthen the church's
advocacy for a just peace, said the Rev. Peter C. Johnson, ELCA Global
Mission regional representative, Cairo, Egypt, in a telephone interview.
Johnson will lead the bishops on their visit.

The itinerary will be as balanced as possible, acknowledging that
the ELCA is in an accompaniment relationship with the people of the
ELCJHL, Johnson said. Also coordinating the visit is Martin Shoffner,
ELCA Global Mission, Jerusalem.

"I hope they will have a deep understanding of the complexities on
the ground," Johnson said of his hopes for the bishops' visit.  "This is
another opportunity for the ELCA to enter deeply into an area of the
world in crisis for many years. I hope this will help the church engage
in this area more publicly."

"They (ELCA bishops) are welcome to visit us," said the Rev. Munib
A. Younan, bishop of the ELCJHL. "We are happy they can finally come. I
want to assure them that even though there is no war now, things are not
better because there is (still) an impasse in the region." He said people
in the region are concerned about the U.S. government's role in the
Middle East.

"We are very worried about the situation. But this is the reason for
accompaniment -- that you come and visit in a time of need," Younan said.

ELCA synod bishops planning to be part of Bishops' Academy II are
the Rev. Michael L. Burk, Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City; the Rev.
Warren D. Freiheit, Central-Southern Illinois Synod, Springfield; the
Rev. Robert D. Hofstad, Southwestern Washington Synod, Tacoma; the Rev.
B. Penrose Hoover, Lower Susquehanna Synod, Harrisburg, Pa.; the Rev.
Michael A. Last, Western Iowa Synod, Storm Lake; the Rev. Mark E. Narum,
Western North Dakota Synod, Bismarck; the Rev. Robert A. Rimbo,
Metropolitan New York Synod; the Rev. Thomas A. Skrenes, Northern Great
Lakes Synod, Marquette, Mich.; and the Rev. Steven S. Talmage, Grand
Canyon Synod, Phoenix.

In most cases, the bishops are taking spouses on the trip. Bishops
and spouses provided synodical and personal funds for the visit.

>---

Information about Bishops' Academy I is at

http://www.ELCA.org/cob/academy2009 on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog