Rev. Rolf Pearson and his wife Kerstin will be taking over the role as caretakers of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan. Rev. Rolf Pearson will be developing worship services and spiritual practices and both Rev. Pearson and Kerstin will be working on creating a pilgrim center.
We sat down with Rev. Pearson to talk to him about himself and the Baptismal Site at Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan.
How are you hoping people view or use this site?
Jordan is also the Holy Land. Some people only do Israel and Palestine, but there’s also Mt. Nebo, Madaba, and other holy places in Jordan. It makes sense to see where Jesus was baptized, as well as where he was born and died. I can see the site being a very central place for pilgrimage and transfer between Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. I hope that the place, especially for the local Amman congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, can be a spiritual and restful place to visit.
The possibilities are endless.
What do you hope that people will take away from the Baptismal Site?
We are going to develop worship, including worship surrounding both baptism and baptismal renewal. We are hoping that pilgrims will find a place where they can be renewed spiritually, a place to understand the religious, social and political context of the place where they are, and to see the Church presence in the Middle East.
To learn more about Rev. Rolf Pearson, visit the ELCJHL's website.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church at Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan is nearing completion. The site, which contains a church, pastor’s house, and multipurpose hall, will be the first Lutheran Church on a holy site, the site mentioned in John 1:28. The site will dedicated on January 6th, 2014 – it's only days away! – but we need your help before then.
We are still looking for donations – of either money or in-kind gifts – to help us complete the building process. For those desiring to support the Baptismal Site monetarily, please send checks made out to “ELCA” and “GMG0196 – ELCJHL Baptismal Site” noted in the memo line to:
ELCA Global Mission
Attn: Finance, 10th Floor
8765 W. Higgins Rd.
Chicago, IL 60014
All donations to the ELCA are tax-deductible in the United States and will applied directly to project costs.
For those outside of the United States, if you would like to donate to the completion of the Baptismal Site, you can send checks here:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
P.O. Box 14076
Muristan Road
Jerusalem 91140
via Israel
If you prefer to make a bank transfer, please contact us at administration@elcjhl.org
By: ELCJHL News
