Next month, HCEF will sponsor its Fourth International Conference on the Christians of the Holy Land Entitled, “The Divine Light Still Burns: The Holy Land Christians Endure.” The conference will be held at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC on October 18, 19, 2002 and will feature speakers from Palestine who have had direct experience with the military occupation and the effects of the occupation on the spiritual, economic and civil lives of Christians living in the West Bank and Gaza.
The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)*
News Release
HCEF Expands its Role of Informing Americans About the Persecution of Christians in the Holy Land
Next month, HCEF will sponsor its Fourth International Conference on the Christians of the Holy Land Entitled, “The Divine Light Still Burns: The Holy Land Christians Endure.” The conference will be held at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC on October 18, 19, 2002 and will feature speakers from Palestine who have had direct experience with the military occupation and the effects of the occupation on the spiritual, economic and civil lives of Christians living in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian Christians, like their Muslim neighbors, experience the humiliation of military checkpoints, the boredom and isolation of curfews, the terror of military attacks and the random maiming and killing of innocent civilians. Christians, like their Muslim neighbors, have endured this affliction for the past 24 months. Some towns and villages have been under curfew for 80 days. Christians have not suffered in such a drastic manner since the time of Diocletian, a Roman Emperor who conducted the last organized persecution of Christians in the Holy Land in the Third Century. Christians endured then and they are learning to endure now.
In addition to the Conference on Christians in the Holy Land in Washington, DC during October, HCEF has had symposia in Atlanta and Detroit. A recent symposium was held in San Antonio during late August. A three-day symposium is planned for Detroit during September and another symposium is planned for Chicago in November. Each of these programs is designed to fulfill HCEF’s mission to inform Americans about the suffering of Christians in the Holy land.
It should be noted that these Christians are the descendents of the Christians who first heard Jesus preach the good news 2000 years ago. Christian presence in the Holy Land has extended from the Pentecost to the present. It is feared, however, that the Christians will no longer continue their living legacy in the Holy Land. Within the next twenty years, if the present difficult conditions continue, all the Christians will have died or emigrated. As evidence, in 1945, Christians represented 20% of the population and now represent less than 2%. The loss of Christians in the land of Christianity’s birth will represent a tragedy of immeasurable proportions for the billions of Christians worldwide.
HCEF’s other mission is to provide support for the Holy Land Christians by sponsoring school children so that they can continue their education. HCEF has sponsored job creation projects, established partnerships between Christian churches in the United States and Christian churches in The Holy Land. School to school partnerships have also been created to provide support for school children living under occupation HCEF has provided emergency relief funds to assist Palestinian Christians survive the present persecution perpetrated by the military occupation.
For more information visit our web Site www.hcef.org or call our office toll, free no. 1-866-871-HCEF
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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, 6975 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD. 20815 (301) 951-9400, Toll Free (866) 871-4233, Toll Free Fax (301) 866-871-4234. www.hcef.org. Email: news@hcef.org,
