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A Church in distress

Dear friends, I offer my thanks to all who remember us in their prayers, all who visit us at this time, and all who support our work and ministry financially.

Palestine has been directly affected in the aftermath of September 11th. The Israeli military divided the West Bank into eight isolated areas. All international representatives, consulates and Palestinian organisations were informed that movement of people and transportation of goods between these areas would be subject to a personal permit system, which would be enforced through the already existing network of Israeli checkpoints.

The humanitarian needs are ever growing among our people as the situation continues to deteriorate. The number of deaths exceeds 2,100, of whom there are 1,700 Palestinians and 400 Israelis. Some 30,000 people have been injured with many left handicapped for life.

Many Christian families have lost their jobs and professions as a result of Israeli attacks on people's shops and offices. All of this keeps the Church in a precarious situation, with our service ministries and parishes in distress.

Newly ordained priests

Last year six deacons were ordained priest, and all are now serving in the Diocese. The Revd Imad Zurob serves All Saints' Community Church and St Luke's Centre for the mentally handicapped in Lebanon. The Revd Fuad Dagher and the Revd Yazeed Said were ordained in Nazareth. The location of their ordination was changed from Jerusalem to Nazareth due to the difficult situation at the time. Fuad is now parish priest of St Paul's Church in Shefa Amr and chaplain to Christ Church School where he will continue to teach religious studies. Yazeed serves the Cathedral community in Jerusalem and is Chaplain to the Bishop.

The Revd Imad Duabis serves the community in Salt, mainly the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf. The Revd George Copti served St Andrew's Church in Ramallah for a few months. As he initially was refused a permanent visa in the country, his appointment was moved to serve back in Amman for one year before he moves to Beirut next year. The Revd Fadi Diab is now the Rector of St Andrew's Church in Ramallah, and will teach at our School there.

The Revd Hatem Shehadeh was appointed Rector of Christ Church, Nazareth, and the Revd Hanna Daleh was appointed Rector of St Paul's Church, Ashrafiyah, Amman, assisting also in the ministry of the Redeemer Church in Amman and teaching at al-Ahliyya School. The Revd Samir Eseid was appointed Rector of St John the Baptist Church in Irbid and Huson, Jordan.

The Revd Victor Diab is still at All Saints' Church, Beirut, from where he will retire. The Revd Nigel Shibald also continues at All Saints', Beirut, where the congregation has almost doubled. The Revd Stephen Griffith retired from his post in Damascus as Chaplain to All Saints' Community Church. We had a locum for three months from the Diocese of Guildford. We expect another locum for one year from the United States, so long as the search for a chaplain continues. The Revd Ray Lockhart (CMJ) has just retired and returned to the UK and has been replaced by the Revd Tony Higton.

Confirmations and Graduations

We have had Confirmation Services recently at St Saviour's, Kfar Yassif and the Emmanuel Church in Ramla. Graduation ceremonies took place in the schools of the Diocese in May and June. I attended most, except in Ramallah, as I had to be in Morocco for a conference on Muslim and Christian Holy Places in Jerusalem.

The general atmosphere between clergy, and the work of the Diocese is pleasant, and I am thankful to all who work with us and support my ministry as Bishop of this Diocese.

We faced, however, a problem this year in the Province. The General Synod convened last February in Cairo. I was prevented from boarding the flight to Cairo on my way back from New York by simply refusing to allow myself to be humiliated by the security arrangements at the airport.

Gratitude for Dr Carey's ministry

His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey and Mrs Carey have paid three visits to the Diocese and the region in the last eighteen months. Last March he arrived on a Lenten Pilgrimage with 70 pilgrims, including Bishop Richard Llewellin. The pilgrimage included visits to Galilee, during which a Eucharistic celebration was arranged with all our parishes in Galilee at the site of the Beatitudes. The following Sunday the Archbishop joined with his group in our Palm Sunday celebration in the Cathedral and the traditional Palm Sunday procession with the Catholic Churches from Bethphage into St Anne's Church in the Old City.

We are grateful for the ministry of Archbishop Carey and for all that he offered to us during his time as Archbishop, and wish him and his family every blessing for the coming years. We pray that his successor will support the ministry of the Church in Jerusalem at this time of great need for justice and peace.

Bishop Vincent Warner, the Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia, which is our sister Diocese, together with Bishop Thomas Shaw of Massachusetts Diocese, and other delegates from both Dioceses, paid a visit on a fact-finding mission in May. They celebrated Pentecost with the people of Ramallah. Bishop Vincent also was present at the centenary celebrations of St Peter's Church in Bir Zeit.

Keep praying!

I ask you to keep up your prayers for the work of the Church in this land and this city, Jerusalem. I hope and pray that we will always learn and work to meet God in the future, as we met him in the past, and continue to meet him in the present, that we may open ourselves to the challenges that are yet to come, and the surprises with which God meets us, and calls upon us to be his followers even in the middle of the toughest and most difficult times. The challenge is difficult and the call is urgent. Pray that we may continue to have courage to share hope and faith even in this hopeless situation, and to have life even in the midst of death.

Riah