Middle East Ministry Team
Mission
We are a community of Episcopalians in the Diocese of Virginia seeking to engage in ministries of peace and 
reconciliation with partners throughout the Holy Land and the Middle East. Through pilgrimage, mission, education and inter-religious cooperation we hope to increase awareness of the complexity of the issues, and promote compassionate involvement in and advocacy for peace and justice in the region.
We want to be particularly attentive to our Christian brothers and sisters who are the living communities that keep the sacred sites of our tradition vital, who persevere under enormous pressure to provide basic needs to the region’s most distressed residents; and are also a resource for peace and reconciliation in their own land.
We aspire to do this work inspired by the Holy Spirit with trust in the healing and reconciling ministry of Jesus Christ.
From Oct. 15-30, the Rev. Susan Daughtry, St. Thomas, Richmond, and the Rev. Ann Gillespie and Jane Gilchrist, Christ Church, Alexandria, went on pilgrimage to Israel, Palestine and Jordan with the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. We visited glorious holy sights and ancient ruins. We also stood in awe at the work that Bishop Suheil Dawani and the Diocese of Jerusalem is doing in various schools and clinics, serving deaf, blind and disabled children. By seeking and serving the lost, they are living out Jesus’ reconciling ministries in bold and inspiring ways.
For a link to Ann’s blog: http://ccalex.org/HomePage/HolyLand.aspx
For a link to Susan’s blog: http://www.stthomasrichmond.org/blogs/sdaughtry
For a link to Ann’s sermon: http://vimeo.com/31745374
Stay tuned for more pilgrimage/partnership news with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
Ministry Contacts
- The Rev. Ann Gillespie, Christ Church Alexandria, 703-778-4934
- The Rev. Susan Daughtry, St. Thomas', Richmond, 804-321-9548
The Rev. Abbott Bailey, St. Andrew’s Richmond, 804-648-7980
Resources
The links, books, and movies below are resources we recommend for learning more about the work of the Episcopal Church in the Middle East
Web Sites
The Diocese of Jerusalem: http://www.j-diocese.org/
Saint George's College, Jerusalem: http://sgcjerusalem.org/
The Episcopal Church's page on the Middle East: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/globalJustice/109339_107632_ENG_HTM.htm
Episcopal Peace Fellowship: http://epfnational.org/
Episcopal Public Policy Network: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/109350_ENG_HTM.htm
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center: http://www.sabeel.org/
Churches for Middle East Peace: http://www.cmep.org/
American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem: http://www.afedj.org/
Rabbis for Human Rights: http://rhrna.org/issuescampaigns/israel-and-the-occupied-palestinian-territories.html
Documentaries
Promises (2001) : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282864/
Budrus (2009): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542411/
Encounter Point (2006): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783517/plotsummary
Books About the Holy Land and Pilgrimage
Click here to learn more about the Palestine of Jesus course and to see a bibliography for the course.
Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses, Bruce Feiler — Feiler is a fifth-generation American Jew from the south who initially felt no connection to the Holy Land. His journey of faith includes spiritual, archeological, Scriptural, and occasionally political reflections.
Where Jesus Walked: A Spiritual Journey Through the Holy Land, R. Wayne Stacey — Each chapter introduces the reader to a prominent place in Jesus’ life– its architecture, geography, history, and archeology. It includes a new translation of a Scriptural passage relevant to the place and a brief meditation. It is a great companion to bring on a pilgrimage.
The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred, Phil Cousineau — Cousineau offers thoughtful and practical suggestions for traveling prayerfully.
A New Testament Guide to the Holy Land, John Kilgallen — For both pilgrims and armchair travelers, this title is a unique introduction to the holy sites of Israel and explains both the physical and spiritual aspects of these areas. Fr. Kilgallen describes each site’s geographical and archaeological importance and then cites Gospel passages that reveal the area’s significance in Jesus’ life. 29 photos & maps.
Books on Reconciliation and Conflict
No Future Without Forgiveness, Desmond Tutu– Bishop Tutu presents a spirituality of reconciliation and his reflections on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Justice and Only Justice, Naim Ateek– Ateek is the director of Sabeel, a Christian Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem. Ateek uses Scripture and his family story to articulate a Palestinian liberation theology. It is an incredibly thoughtful reading of the Bible from a Palestinian Christian perspective.
How Long O Lord?: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Voices from the Ground and Visions for the Future, ed. Maurine Tobin– This book contains outstanding essays from a variety of people engaged in peacemaking in Israel/ Palestine. It is published by Cowley, the publishing house formerly run by the Society for St. John the Evangelist (SSJE).
Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land, David Shipler– This is a slightly older book, but it gives a solid account of the cultural differences and racial stereotypes that contribute to the conflict. It won a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1987.
Understanding the Palestinian/ Israeli Conflict: A Primer, Phyllis Bennis– Exactly what it says: a short, concise primer about the core issues of the conflict– easy-to-read and straightforward.
The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East, Sandy Tolan– Tolan personalizes the conflict by tracing the intersecting narratives of a Palestinian refugee and a Jewish settler who at different times lived in the same house.
