November 4, 2004

NEW YORK - A delegation of U.S. church leaders returning from a tour of five Middle Eastern countries is reporting that stable Christian communities and churches in the region are being severely challenged by volatile and escalating humanitarian and political crises.

Led by global humanitarian agency Church World Service, the delegation of U.S. mission agency heads visited government officials and Christian and Muslim leaders in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel between October 23 - November 1.

Church World Service Executive Director and CEO Rev John L. McCullough noted that "The region continues to be tense and volatile, with worsening humanitarian situations and political crises, particularly in Iraq and in Israel / Palestine.

"Church World Service and its partners are deeply troubled," McCullough said, "by the political, economic and social factors that are provoking Christian migration from the region and severely challenging the churches and Christian communities that have long been stable."

In a week that also saw Israel's Sharon's movement on the West Bank and Palestinian Arafat rushed to Paris for medical reasons, the region's instability was underscored.

With the Middle East engulfed in deepening conflicts and war, and amidst militant religious overtones, representatives of the U.S. churches traveled to show their solidarity with the Middle East's Christian community and to express support for ecumenical and interfaith efforts for peace, justice and reconciliation. Churches in the United States and other agencies have been longstanding partners with Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant church communities in the region.

Accompanying Rev. McCullough, the delegation included: The Rev. R. Randy Day, General secretary of the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church The Rev. Dr. Marian McClure, Director of the Worldwide Ministries Division of the Presbyterian Church USA's General Assembly Council Rev. William C. Sibert, Executive Director of the Board of World Mission, Moravian Church David Weaver, Director of Mission Relationships and Witness, Church World Service

Delegates say the visits underscored the view that, for many people, the Middle East remains an unknown region, reduced to images of violence and sound bites of discordant voices, without representation of people who have been living out ecumenical and cross-cultural relationships for generations.

Church leaders visited by the delegation encouraged U.S. churches to promote "citizen diplomacy" to reach across deep divides and establish human contact and relationships.

"Many ecumenical efforts are pioneering in nature and have had a large impact for the good on government programs. Dedicated volunteers in the region are pouring themselves out in service to fellow Christians and to all fellow citizens in need," reports United Methodist Church's Day.

The delegation reports that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) recently elected new leadership: a new General Secretary and two members of the four-person presidium. The delegation sought to confer with this new leadership and other church leaders on the best strategies for ecumenical diakonia and humanitarian cooperation, as well as to represent a U.S. stance different from the administration's.

The MECC leaders also called into question the priorities of governments and philanthropies that could be doing more to address social and economic problems.

McCullough said the delegation was dismayed to find high rates of illiteracy in an internationally distinguished country such as Egypt. "The prominence of geo-political issues in the Middle East," he said, "should not distract us from the urgent needs of people who are poor and disadvantaged."

Region's Muslim and Christian Leaders
Object to Bush reference of U.S. Crusade

Both Muslim and Christian religious and political leaders objected to the use of the word "crusade" by President Bush to describe the U.S. intervention in the region, the CWS delegation reports.

To the people of the region, the Crusaders came as conquerors, and brought death and destruction. Although the Bush administration has attempted to repair the damage caused by the decision to use this language, the continued association of the Bush administration with prominent leaders of the U.S. Christian right who have spoken against Islam has only served to reinforce this impression, the CWS delegates found.

McCullough said the Middle East ecumenical leaders lamented that the Bush administration has been "uninterested in dialogue, even with staunch friends and allies, dismissing the knowledge of the people of the Middle East in matters that affect them directly."

McCullough continued, "Many Muslim leaders are moderate and cooperate with Christians in building good, civil relationships. Some are aware of the greater sense of vulnerability that the minority Christian community feels and we heard specific examples of government responsiveness to that community.

"Creative programs of dialog, hospitality and collaboration are flourishing between Christian and Muslim neighbors," he said, "and we in the West can learn a great deal from these forms of coexistence."

Rev. Dr. Marian McClure, Director, Worldwide Ministries Division, Presbyterian Church USA's General Assembly Council, was a member of last week's delegation. Noted McClure, "We found that Christians face deep uncertainty about the future and their future place in many Middle Eastern societies.

"Too often extremism rears its head and intimidates everyone," she said. "For this reason and also because of the persistence of poverty, very large numbers of Christian youths seize every opportunity to emigrate."

Popular Middle Eastern view of U.S. stance on Israel, Palestine endangers Christians in the region

Leaders and officials in the Middle East understand and distinguish among the different opinions that Christians have about situations in Israel and Palestine and about the U.S. role in Iraq. The delegation observed, however, that Middle Eastern leaders made references to U.S. Christians who are close to the U.S. government and press for giving unqualified support for Israel regardless of the situation of innocent Palestinian people.

At the popular level, however, noted CWS' McCullough, the U.S. government's refusal to criticize and influence Israel on key points affecting Palestinians' rights and welfare and related public statements by U.S. officials have endangered Christians in the Middle East.

Many Muslims, the delegation found, assume that all Christians support U.S. policies, including their Christian neighbors in the Middle East, and especially including the Protestants among them.

Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 36 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations, providing sustainable self-help and development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance internationally. These forms of Christian witness have been a hallmark of the ecumenical movement in the Middle East for decades.

McCullough says that "Ecumenically, the churches have sought to bear witness through an active presence that seeks the welfare of all in society, without regard to religious belief and identity. Ecumenical partners from around the world have supported the churches in the region in witness-through-presence."

The delegation, noting the harmful effects of the politics of fear, said Christians embrace love, not fear, and will continue to work with partners in the Middle East.

For a statement from the delegation, and for the delegation's itinerary, please use the contacts below.

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