Washington, D.C.- HCEF announced today an expansion of HCSN activities from four cities to eleven cities, thus doubling its outreach. HCEF committees are already established in Washington, D.C.; Jerusalem; Baltimore, Maryland; Houston, Texas and Detroit, Michigan
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)
News Release
Holy Land Christian Support Network Expands to Eleven Cities
HCSN
Washington, D.C.- HCEF announced today an expansion of HCSN activities from four cities to eleven cities, thus doubling its outreach. HCEF committees are already established in Washington, D.C.; Jerusalem; Baltimore, Maryland; Houston, Texas and Detroit, Michigan.
International expansion includes Rome, Italy and Amman, Jordan. Father Emil Salayta is the Chairperson of the Rome Committee. Father Salayta was until recently the Director of Education for the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Chairperson of the Jerusalem Committee. Mr. George Ghattas is the newly appointed chairman of the Jerusalem Committee. Mr. Raja Y. Rabie, an international consultant based in Amman, is the Chairperson of the Amman Committee.
Dramatic domestic expansion has occurred to four cities nation wide. The Chairperson in Atlanta, Georgia is Rev. Becky Burton, Minister of Mission, Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Ms. Lori Welbig is the leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ms. Janet Phipps, Associate Director for Missions, Diocese of Cincinnati, Ohio is the Chairperson. In Orlando, Florida, Faith Libby is the committee leader. Each chairperson leads ecumenical committees dedicated to increasing awareness among American Christians of the urgent needs of Arab Christians living in the Holy Land.
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by concerned Christians to help preserve Christian presence in the Holy Land. Rapid expansion of the organization to six new cities has been due to American Christian realization that Arab Christians living under military occupation and siege in the Holy Land are being subjected to severe economic and social conditions that threatens to end the 2000 year long presence of Christianity in the land of its birth, this is an invitation to all Christian to join our HCSN, said Sir Rateb Y. Rabie the president of HCEF.
At this moment, Occupation Forces have invaded the predominately Christian town of Beit Jala, close to Bethlehem, the place of Jesus Christ’s birth and have been bombarding homes indiscriminately.
HCEF will hold its Third International Conference on the suffering Arab Christians in the Holy Land on October 19, 20, 2001 at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington D.C.
For registration or for more information contact Luma Haj at 301-871-9222 luma@hcef.org or visit our web site at www.hcef.org
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( The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation is a tax exempt, non-profit organization committed to improving the lives of Christians in the Holy Land by developing bonds of solidarity with Christians in the United States. HCEF, PO Box 6687, Silver Spring, MD 20906. (301) 871-9222, Fax (301) 871-2277. www.hcef.org. email: news@hcef.org, Toll Free (866) 871-4233
