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
The Episcopal Church: www.episcopalchurch.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/episcopalian
Twitter: www.twitter.com/iamepiscopalian
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/EpiscopalChurchYT