December 26th Bulletin:

CMEP's Top 10 of 2025

Amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, CMEP has significantly expanded its capacity to address the complex challenges facing the region today. See how below!

1: Church at the Crossroads Conference

The Church at the Crossroads conference (September 11–13, 2025, Glen Ellyn, Illinois) brought together more than 800 people in person and online for three days of worship, panels, and action-oriented conversation about Christian complicity in violence, the crisis in Gaza, and the biblical call to justice. Convened by 11 partner organizations—including Churches for Middle East Peace—the program featured Palestinian theologians Munther Isaac, Anton Deik, and Daniel Bannoura; Christian leaders such as Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Jemar Tisby, Lisa Sharon Harper, Shane Claiborne, and Preston Sprinkle; and CMEP leaders Mae Elise Cannon, Ben Norquist, and Destiny Magnett. A centerpiece of the gathering was the public launch of Church at the Crossroads: Our Response to the Public Calls of Palestinian Christians, a declaration committing the church to lament, repentance, re-examined theology, advocacy for a permanent ceasefire, and solidarity with those suffering in Gaza and across the region

Read the Declaration Here

Learn More about the UPCOMING 2026 Summit Here

2: 2025 Advocacy Summit

The 2025 CMEP Advocacy Summit took place March 19–20, bringing together religious leaders, civil society voices, diplomats, and advocates for expert analysis, CMEP updates, and advocacy training ahead of Congressional meetings. Featured speakers included H.E. Ambassador Manuel Hassassian, Hon. Cori Bush, and CMEP Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Cannon, alongside panels addressing Christian sustainability in the Holy Land, policy engagement, and prophetic responses in times of crisis.

On the second day, participants met with Congressional offices across 16 states to advocate for religious freedom, an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and humanitarian aid for Gaza. Senator Van Hollen received the CMEP Congressional Award for his leadership on Israel-Palestine, and attendees praised the summit for its meaningful engagement with policymakers and urgent regional issues.

3: Christian Strategic Gathering in Atlanta

From July 29-30, 2025, Churches for Middle East Peace convened over 120 Christian leaders at The Carter Center in Atlanta for a strategic gathering to coordinate advocacy and joint action addressing the atrocities in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. The two-day meeting, framed by devotionals and keynote addresses from Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Archbishop Thabo Makoba, and Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, brought together denominations, grassroots networks, Palestinians Christian leaders, and U.S. coalitions to map what's already happening, identify gaps, and develop concrete campaigns. Working groups on Church and Denominational Engagement, Grassroots Mobilization, and Government Advocacy produced a set of strategic proposals and "calls to action", along with timelines and next steps for implementation.

4: Let Children Live Campaign

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has launched Let Children Live, a growing international campaign calling Christians to pray for and protect Palestinian children. Partnering with denominations, congregations, and faith-based organizations, the campaign invites churches to lift up Palestinian children by name, affirming their God-given dignity and right to live, dream, and thrive. Already embraced by over 200 churches and organizations, Let Children Live unites believers across traditions in a shared cry for compassion and justice.
Watch the Let Children Live Vigil HERE.

5: CMEP Executive Director Leads Delegation in Jordan for High-Level Religious and Diplomatic Meetings

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) executive director, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, led a small interfaith delegation of Christian and Muslim leaders to Jordan between April 9-10, 2025. His Excellency Bishop Mpumlwana Malusi, the former General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC), and Imam Dr. Yahya Hendi, Director of Muslim Life at Georgetown University, joined Rev. Dr. Cannon as they met with high-level political and religious leaders to discuss the most recent events in the region with an emphasis on what can be done to end the war on Gaza.
In addition to meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Safadi and other leaders, the delegation was honored to participate in a gathering with the Nobel Women’s Initiative hosted by His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal.

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, His Excellency Mpumlwana Malusi, and Imam Dr. Yahya Hendi meet with His Excellency Ayman Safadi to discuss the ongoing Israeli military attacks throughout the region.

Read About the Trip Here

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Peace by Piece Report Coming Soon!

6: Peace by Piece Tour

Communities across seven states hosted events as part of Churches for Middle East Peace’s Peace by Piece tour, centered on peacebuilding, economic justice, and advocacy related to Israel-Palestine. In collaboration with Bethlehem Fair Trade Artisans, the tour created meaningful opportunities to support Christian-led Palestinian craftspeople while fostering dialogue about justice and peace in the Holy Land. CMEP representatives and a Bethlehem-based artisan leader shared firsthand reflections on daily life, creative resilience, and hopes for peace amid ongoing conflict.

Events included guest sermons and lectures, faith-based discussions on just peacemaking, educational forums on current realities in the Middle East, direct encounters with Christian experiences from the Holy Land, and fair-trade marketplaces. Over 14 days, the Peace by Piece tour reached more than 2,970 people through 15 events in seven states, generating over $25,000 in sales for Palestinian artisan goods.

7: 21Wilberforce Awards Churches for Middle East Peace the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award

At a special recognition dinner held during the Global Religious Freedom Conference at Dallas Baptist University on October 20, 2025, the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award was presented to Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). The award honors organizations advancing freedom of religion or belief around the world. Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, CMEP’s Executive Director, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. In presenting the honor, 21Wilberforce recognized CMEP’s decades-long commitment to promoting justice, equality, and human rights for all people in the Middle East through education, advocacy, and Christian peacemaking grounded in the values of faith and reconciliation.

Read the Press Release Here

Read CMEP's Response to Kairos II Here

8: Nov. 2025 Encountering the Holy Land Trip

In November 2025, Churches for Middle East Peace led its Encountering the Holy Land trip to Israel/Palestine, offering participants a spiritually grounded and educational pilgrimage rooted in encounter, learning, and solidarity. The journey coincided with the release of the Kairos 2 Declaration by Palestinian Christian leaders, deepening participants’ engagement with the urgent moral and theological calls emerging from local Christian communities.

Led by Kyle Cristofalo, Senior Director of Advocacy and Government Relations for CMEP, the trip highlighted the deep spiritual significance of the land, the vital role of local Christians, and the work of religious, academic, and civil society leaders committed to peace, justice, and human rights. The itinerary included worship and guided visits to sacred sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, time in Bethlehem and Taybeh, meetings with Israeli and Palestinian guides and scholars, engagement with local organizations working on peacebuilding and sustainable development, and shared meals with local families equipping participants to return home with renewed perspectives to share within their churches, denominations, and networks.

9: CMEP Publishes International Multi-Faith Letter Demanding Intervention, Accountability, an End to the Atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank, and an End to All Violence

More than 130 Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders from around the world signed CMEP's 2025 Multi-Faith Global Letter, a unified call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank, unrestricted humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages, and accountability for violations of international law by all parties. The letter urges world leaders to act toward a just and lasting peace grounded in human dignity, equality, and mutual security for both Palestinians and Israelis. In addition, CMEP released a cover letter addressed to President Trump, specifically calling for him to ensure the Gaza ceasefire leads to a permanent, just peace that upholds human rights, ends occupation and violence, and secures dignity and safety for both Palestinians and Israelis.

Read Letter Here

Read About the Council Here

10: Launch of the Armenia Advisory Council

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) announced the launch of its Armenian Advisory Council on September 16, 2025, at St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York City. The inaugural event, From Ararat to the World, gathered church leaders, ecumenical partners, and members of the Armenian-American community in a shared commitment to justice and peace. The Armenian Advisory Council is a new CMEP initiative focused on elevating Armenian voices in peacebuilding, human rights advocacy, and the protection of Armenian Christian heritage in Armenia, the Middle East, and the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, while fostering collaboration among church leaders, diaspora communities, policymakers, and advocates.