Palestinian Territories in the West bank and Jordan

FELM works together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). The Church is active in Jordan, the West Bank and Jerusalem.

This Arabic language Church is the only Lutheran Church in the Middle East. The key activities of the Church are congregational work, education and diaconia. During the past few years the Church has also begun projects that enable self-sustainability.

Bishop Munib A. Younan, who trained as a Theologian in Finland, has led the Church since 1998. He has relentlessly strengthened the identity of the Church, its international relations and ecumenical networks as well as being a strong advocate for peace. The Church has six congregations and high standard education programmes.

FELM supports the Church’s programmes and provides staff for congregational work, diaconia and education projects.

Ministry and Congregational work

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land has active Sunday school, youth and music activities. Among other initiatives, FELM funds the nursery school in the premises of the Lutheran World Federation on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The nursery school is part of the Church’s education network. It is a Christian school although most of the students are from Muslim homes.

As part of the Dar Al Kalima School in Bethlehem, FELM funds a five year (2005-2010) environmental project.

Community Support, Capacity and Peace Building

The Lutheran Church in Ramallah supports a broad range of diaconia activities. Together with the organization Al-Atta it supports work with the elderly. The Church takes responsibility for providing food, transportation for health care as well as subsidizing the cost of medicines and providing carers.

A FELM staff member participates in the care of the elderly as well as in the Sunday school programme of the Church.

Two FELM staff members work in the Old City of Jerusalem at the Martin Luther day Centre. The Centre is a meeting point for the elderly from the Christian and Muslim communities.

The Church runs four schools and a boys’ boarding house on the West Bank. The schools have 2000 students of which 60% are Muslims and 40% Christians.

The Church schools provide a high level of education for children from nursery school to high school. Christian education, international exposure and peace building are part of the curricula of the schools.

The schools are supported by the child sponsorship programme which allows for poor children to benefit of a high level of primary and secondary education. One of the recipients of support from the sponsorship programme, is the Beit Jalan boarding school that has 47 male students from vulnerable families. A three year programme (2006-2008) to support the art and vocational training in the Beit Sahour School is underway. In Jerusalem funding for school fees is provided to the children of the congregations.