Lutheran Bishop Schneider and Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM will present the Keynote address

HCEF is pleased to announce Bishop Theodore F. Schneider of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as the keynote speaker at its 7th International Conference.

Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation
News Release

HCEF is pleased to announce Bishop Theodore F. Schneider of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as the keynote speaker at its 7th International Conference.  Bishop Schneider believes, “We must find ways to stand in solidarity with our suffering sisters and brothers in the West Bank/Gaza and in Israel. “The theme of the conference Bishop Schneider is keynoting is “United by faith for action.”  The conference is scheduled for October 21-22 at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Silver Spring, Maryland.

HCEF is also pleased to announce that the keynote speaker for its annual awards banquet will be Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, Superior of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.  The Order has been charged historically with the care of Christians in the Holy Land — both residents and pilgrims.  Of the challenge facing the Franciscans in the Holy Land today, Fr. Pizzaballa has said, “The Friars must be in greater solidarity, less assistential and more present.  The people do not only need money, they ask for hope, they want to be helped to believe in the future.”

In addition to keynoting the awards banquet on Friday, October 21, Fr. Pizzaballa will be accepting HCEF’s Living Stone Solidarity Award on behalf of the Franciscan Custody.

For more information about the conference and awards banquet, visit:  https://www.hcef.org/index.cfm/eventid/174/ID/23.cfm

-30-

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, Inc. (HCEF) is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to preserve the Christian presence in the Holy Land by supporting the living stones.  HCEF sponsors programs that build person-to-person, family-to-family, and church-to-church relationships.  HCEF also supports children’s education, housing, and job creation.