The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) has established the Living Stones Solidarity Award to honor people and institutions which have endeavored to love, sustain and stand in solidarity with the Christians in the Holy Land (the “Living Stones”) at this critical time when so many have been leaving their native land.
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) has established the Living Stones Solidarity Award to honor people and institutions which have endeavored to love, sustain and stand in solidarity with the Christians in the Holy Land (the “Living Stones”) at this critical time when so many have been leaving their native land.
The National Presbyterian Church (NPC) in Washington, D.C. has been selected to receive this award for having developed deep and meaningful ties with Christians native to the Holy Land. HCEF president Rateb Rabie announced that the award will be presented to NPC on October 2 at a banquet at the Omni Shoreham Hotel following the Foundation’s First Annual Conference entitled “Endangered People: Christians In The Holy Land. Can They Survive The Millennium?” Missions Pastor Lynne Faris will accept the award on behalf of the church.
NPC has demonstrated its commitment to the Christian “Living Stones” by:
o Connecting American Christians to their historic and geographic roots of the faith;
o Organizing and directing regular pilgrimages to Biblical sites and ensuring that living connections are made with Holy Land churches, institutions and individuals;
o Informing American Christians of the difficult living conditions faced by Christians in the Holy Land;
o Providing financial support for the Living Stones Housing project and scholarship aid for young people and developing other educational and economic innovations;
o Developing ecumenical partnership with Father Emil Salayta and his Birzeit Catholic parish, Our Lady of Guadeloupe, in support of Christian unity, political freedom, economic opportunity and freedom of expression;
o Giving voice to the needs of the “Living Stones” and introducing them to American Churches and other audiences;
o Marshaling support among American Christians by providing leadership in the founding of HCEF and continuing support for ongoing HCEF projects such as the Holy Land Christian Support Network.
