Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori joined 41 other religious leaders in this country and Jerusalem in signing a letter to United Sates Secretary of State John Kerry pledging to help “you in every way we can in building a secure and just peace.”

This marks the first time the Anglican, Catholic, Coptic, and Lutheran heads of churches in Jerusalem and the Franciscan Custodian of the Holy Places have joined with the leaders of U.S.-based Christian denominations and groups to support urgent efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
 

The text of the letter follows:

Secretary John Kerry

The State Department

Dear Mr. Secretary,

As Christian leaders, we commend you for your active efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the long–‐standing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians with the mutual recognition, dignity, justice, and security that each side deserves.

Given the difficulties involved, a framework for conclusive negotiations seems an essential step if there is to be progress towards a final status agreement. Without progress now, we fear an important opportunity for peace will be lost.

Lack of a resolution will have negative consequences for both Israelis and Palestinians and exacerbate other grave problems in the region. Failure would have detrimental consequences for the entire international community, including the United States, as well as exacerbate ongoing humanitarian concerns. We hope that the framework will be based on principles of international law.

The preservation and welfare of the Christian communities affected by this conflict are important to us.

A comprehensive agreement should greatly strengthen opportunities for them to flourish. Moreover, the support and inclusion of all three Abrahamic faiths is critical as they will have an important role to play in promoting the peace process.

Recalling the blessedness of peacemakers, we pray for your success and pledge to help you in every way we can in building a secure and just peace.

Most sincerely,

His Beatitude Fouad Twal


Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem

Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, ofm


Custos of the Holy Land


Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land

His Grace Dr. Anba Abraham


Archbishop


Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem & the Near East

Rt. Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan


Bishop


Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani


Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem


Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian


Armenian Orthodox Church of North America

Rev. Donald H. Ashmall


Council Minister


International Council of Community Churches

Rev. Geoffrey Black


General Minister and President


United Church of Christ

Dr. Joel Boot


Executive Director


Christian Reformed Church in North America

Tony Campolo


Professor of Sociology at Eastern University


Red Letter Christians

Archbishop of Oklahoma City Paul S. Coakley


Chairman of the Board


Catholic Relief Services

Rev. Dr. Tom De Vries


General Secretary


Reformed Church in America

Paula Dempsey


Director of Partnership

Relations
Alliance of Baptists

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton


Presiding Bishop


Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Very Rev. John Edmunds, ST


President


Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Adam Estle


Executive Director


Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding

Rev. Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley


Executive Secretary-Treasurer


Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention

The Rev. David Guthrie


President, Provincial Elders' Conference


Moravian Church in America, Southern Province

Rev. Dr. Stephen Allen Hayner


President
Columbia Theological Seminary

Dennis Hollinger


President


Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter


Senior Pastor


Northland, A Church Distributed

The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori


Presiding Bishop and Primate


The Episcopal Church

Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim


Archbishop


Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church for the Eastern USA

Mark Labberton, PhD


President


Fuller Theological Seminary

Gerry Gardner Lee


Director


Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Dr. Ron Lush


President


Global Initiatives, Inc.

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick


Archbishop Emeritus of Washington

Reverend John L. McCullough


President and CEO


Church World Service

Rev. Dr. Alex Roy Medley


General Secretary


American Baptist Churches USA

Rev. Dr. Bruce Norman Merton


President


International Council of Community Churches

Sister Janet Mock, CSJ


Executive Director


Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Stanley J. Noffsinger


General Secretary


Church of the Brethren

Reverend Gradye Parsons


Stated Clerk of the General Assembly


Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Bishop Richard E. Pates


Chairman


U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace

Very Rev. John Puodziunas, OFM


President


Franciscan Friars (OFM) English Speaking Conference

Executive Secretary Diane Randall


Executive Secretary


Friends Committee on National Legislation

Bob Roberts


Senior Pastor


NorthWood Church

Metropolitan Philip Saliba


Archbishop


Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Archimandrite Nathanael Symeonides


Director of Ecumenical Affairs


Greek Orthodox Church of America

Jim Wallis


President and Founder


Sojourners

Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins


General Minister and President


Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Bishop Rosemarie Wenner


President, Council of Bishops


The United Methodist Church

James Winkler


President and General Secretary


National Council of Churches

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