Important New Additions to the HCEF Boards

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to the Board of Directors: James Ransom and Father Alex Kratz, OFM. HCEF also welcomes five new members to the Advisory Board: Patriarch Gregorios III, Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel, Raja Khoury, Rev. Dr. Craig Barnes, and Gabriel Habib.

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation*
News Release

Important New Additions to the HCEF Boards

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to the Board of Directors: James Ransom and Father Alex Kratz, OFM.  HCEF also welcomes five new members to the Advisory Board: Patriarch Gregorios III, Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel, Raja Khoury, Rev. Dr. Craig Barnes, and Gabriel Habib.

The Board of Directors approved the membership of two dedicated HCEF committee chairs who have already made significant contributions to the foundation’s success.  James Ransom is a retired Air Force officer who has played an important part of the management of HCEF since he became a member several years ago.  Most significantly, Mr. Ransom has refined financial management and administration for all aspects of the foundation.  Father Alex Kratz, OFM, of Detroit Michigan, has made significant contributions to the success of the HCEF mission in Detroit.  He has been tireless in organizing HCEF activities in Detroit and enrolling people in the Child Sponsorship Program.  Thus far, Father Alex has recruited 500 people to sponsor the education of children in the Holy Land; he is half way to achieving the Archdiocese of Detroit’s commitment of 1,000 sponsored children. 

The HCEF Advisory Board has also been augmented by important additions.  Rev. Dr. Craig Barnes, former Senior Pastor of the National Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel, Moderator of the 214th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the USA,  Patriarch Gregorios III, Melkite-Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem, Gabriel Habib, Advisor to the Foundation of Church and State, and Raja Khoury, President of Pillar Construction.

“We are proud that these individuals have agreed to serve on our Boards,” said Rateb Rabie, KHS, President of HCEF.  “Their presence will add immeasurably to our ability to provide succor to the Christians of the Holy Land.”

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*The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization 501 (c) 3, committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land through building bonds of solidarity with between Christians in the United States and Christians in the Holy Land. We have two goals: inform Americans about the Christians in the Holy Land and provide humanitarian assistance for the needy in the land where Jesus Christ was born, preached, died and rose again.  HCEF, 6935 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 214, Bethesda, MD 20815 (301)951-9400, Toll Free (866) 871-4233 (HCEF), www.hcef.org  Email: news@hcef.org