The U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, James Holtsnider, visited the Jordanian Evangelical Churches Council on Monday, December 22, 2025. The holiday visit was aimed at offering Christmas greetings to the council and the evangelical churches under its umbrella.
At the council’s headquarters in the Khalda district, Ambassador Holtsnider was received by retired Brigadier General Emad Maay’ah, President of the Jordanian Evangelical Churches Council, alongside the heads and representatives of the five evangelical denominations and members of the administrative board. The meeting took place in a cordial, introductory atmosphere, according to the council’s Facebook page.
During the meeting, Ambassador Holtsnider expressed his appreciation for the Jordanian leadership and people, praising Jordan’s regional standing and role. He also showed interest in the country’s tourism sector, emphasizing the importance of encouraging Jordanian expatriates to return and contribute to the national economy, the council reported.
For his part, Brig. Gen. Maay’ah provided an overview of the council’s role and the work of evangelical churches and their institutions in Jordan, including services in education, healthcare, refugee support, prison ministry, and care for the elderly and orphans.
According to sources who attended the meeting, the visit, which lasted less than an hour, focused on exchanging greetings and introductions, without discussing any specific political or other issues. The U.S. Embassy has issued no official statement regarding the visit as of the time of this report.
“Milhilard.org learned from one participant that the ambassador introduced himself broadly, expressing his affection for Jordan and its people and mentioning that he is a supporter of the national football team, Al-Nashama. The source confirmed that the visit was purely for introductory purposes and did not touch on political matters or issues concerning the evangelical council directly.
By Daoud Kuttab – Milhilard.org
