Jerusalem
and the Middle East
Church Association

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Bishop Suheil and ex President Carter

Bishop Suheil was a guest of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at a conference in Atlanta. The bishop presented a paper urging political and spiritual leaders to help preserve the presence of Christianity in the Holy Land and he outlined a series of positive steps that can be taken as interim measures until a permanent peace is established.

The Bishop, whose paper is titled Traditions of the Christian Community in the Land of the Holy One and Threats to its Continuing Presence, noted that while the situation in the Middle East is complex, “Christians have historically played an important role in the spiritual leadership and politics of the region, as well as in the various public and private sectors of the economy.” In the past decade, however, the percentage of Christians in the Holy Land has declined dramatically, from about 18 percent to less than 2 percent. “The education and values of local Christians help create a respectful and constructive dialogue among people of different faiths and economic conditions,” said the Bishop.” The urgency to preserve an indigenous Christian community is crucial to its ability to continue to serve as a moderating and reconciling element in the social and cultural fabric of the Middle East.”

In his paper, the Bishop laid out a series of initiatives to provide temporary bridges for conciliation until the peace process is resolved.