An Ecumenical Delegation in an Online Visit to the Holy Land

The World Council of Churches Thanks Ecumenical Accompaniers for Being “God’s presence”

File photo of Ecumenical Accompaniers in the field. Photo Albin HillertWCC

Within the framework of closely reviewing the field relief work in the Holy Land, a delegation led by the World Council of Churches (WCC), which included the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis, held an online meeting, on Wednesday 7 August 2024, with staff from the WCC Jerusalem Liaison Office and with accompaniers from the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme (EAPPI).

This meeting came as part of the program of an online visit held by the World Council of Churches (WCC) between 7 and 8 August 2024, after postponing the visit that was scheduled to take place in person between 5 and 9 August due to the security developments that occurred in the region. Hence, this visit represented an opportunity to accompany Member Churches and Ecumenical Partners, listen to their voices and perspectives, amplify their calls, and remind the world of what is needed to bring about peace in the region.

The delegation which participated in this virtual visit included His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary, and Mr. Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.

During the Ecumenical meeting which focused on how the WCC Ecumenical fellowship can journey with its staff in Jerusalem and with the Ecumenical accompaniers on the ground, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, greeted staff from the Jerusalem Liaison Office, and expressed gratitude for a team working in very challenging circumstances. He said “You are under immense pressure as a staff. You always have been in this context.”

Rev. Pillay added that he was glad to hear the voices and stories from the staff and the Ecumenical accompaniers. He mentioned “We know it’s not easy on the ground to live with those tensions. We trust that you will continue to do the good work you do in the midst of the challenges you face on a daily basis.”

As well as, Rev. Pillay particularly thanked the Ecumenical accompaniers for their eyewitness reports. He said “thank you for really putting yourself into situations where it counts to be present. All of these experiences can be quite taxing and traumatic in this context. You are living in a climate of real, volatile uncertainty and yet you are willing to be live witnesses telling your Churches and the world what you see and hear on a daily basis.”

Assuring that the WCC will continue to call for an end to the war, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay added that “Your presence there is not only the presence of your Church. Your presence there is the presence of the international Christian community and also of the WCC. Thank you for being God’s presence in that place.”

For his part, His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to hear from the staff in Jerusalem and the Ecumenical accompaniers online. He pointed out “I really hope it’s a postponement without too much time until we meet face-to-face”.

In his turn, Mr. Yusef Daher, Jerusalem Liaison Office Coordinator, offered an overview of the daily challenges staff face because they work close to a conflict zone, as well as how the team continues to coordinate with human rights organizations.

In this context, it is worth noting that particularly since 7 October 2023, Ecumenical accompaniers have been challenged by security concerns, even as their presence is more needed now than ever. Noting that, after being temporarily evacuated in October 2023, the accompaniers are now back on the ground, where they have been documenting high rates of settler violence.