LWF President Younan (right) receives Archbishop of Canterbury Welby in Jerusalem. © ELCJHL/D. Hudson
A Commitment to Work Together for Peace and Reconciliation in the Middle East
(LWI) Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) welcomed the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to Jerusalem during the Archbishop's visit to the Holy Land, 26-29 June.
This was Welby’s first official visit to the region since his installation earlier this year as the Primate of All England and spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
"The Archbishop and I discussed at great length our commitment to justice, peace and security for both Palestine and Israel, and the necessity of a two-state solution along 1967 borders," said Younan of their 28 June meeting at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem.
"I welcome Archbishop Welby to the Holy Land and look forward to working together to continue improving Lutheran and Anglican relationship regionally."
Bishop Younan also serves as President of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) which has been in dialogue with the Anglican Communion since 1972. In 2012, the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission (ALIC - III) published the report “To Love and Serve the Lord,” which explores diakonia as an essential part of Christian identity and discipleship and as an expression of the unity of the church.
During the meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the LWF president discussed the joint work between the two Christian World Communions. Lutheran and Anglican relations continue to be strengthened by the formation of a new coordinating body, the Anglican-Lutheran International Coordinating Committee (ALICC). The committee's first meeting will take place this September.
"As Lutherans we are committed to working together with our Anglican brothers and sisters for the unity of the church and to be a living witness of peace and reconciliation in the contexts in which we serve, be it in the Middle East or in other regions in our world today," Younan concluded.
(Danae Hudson, ELCJHL communications coordinator, contributed to this article)
