May 2022

Check out the latest opportunities and events from Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). 

 
 
Upcoming Event:
CMEP's Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, will be preaching about forgiveness at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, WA, on Sunday, May 8. CMEP is pleased to have Overlake as one of our Church Partners. The services can be watched online.
 
Pilgrimage to Peace 2022:
We are happy to have completed a 2 week Pilgrimage to Peace (P2P) tour in April. We traveled to Colorado, California, and Washington and are energized by the many new connections we made and the sustaining church partners we visited. Throughout our tour we reached over 550 people, visited 13 churches and organizations, met with 55 pastors and leaders, connected with over 10 potential church partners, and had a lot of fun working for Middle East Peace. To see videos and photos of past P2P events and learn when others are hosting CMEP events in your area, visit https://cmep.org/p2p/
 
CMEP is Hiring!
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is seeking applicants for a Middle East Fellow. This unique fellowship experience is focused on advocacy based in the US and the Middle East. The fellowship lasts between 6-12 months and includes a few months (remote) work from the United States and three months on the ground in the Jerusalem/Bethlehem area of Israel/Palestine. Applicants will have the opportunity to live and work in Israel/Palestine, acquire deeper exposure to the realities on the ground, develop relationships with local religious leaders and organizations working towards a just peace to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and make meaningful contributions to CMEP’s advocacy efforts. Fellows are essential to our work and receive mentoring and valuable experience through their service.

 

We're also seeking applicants for the position of Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow, and summer interns. Check out our website for more information on each of those.
 
PlayforPeace:
Please join us in our first ever Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) virtual fundraising event - we're embracing and continuing our spring theme of "Hope Grows: Seeds planted. Future promise." and asking our supporters to get outdoors and #PlayForPeace. You'll commit to doing something you enjoy outside: hiking, cycling, taking pictures of nature, visiting parks, etc. - - and you'll ask your friends, family, and others to donate to Churches for Middle East Peace in support of your Play for Peace goal. We'll share our photos, thoughts, and prayers for peace on social media as we #PlayForPeace this month. Learn more, donate, and sign up for your own fundraiser!
 

The Joint Nakba Day Ceremony (May 15):

Hosted by Combatants for Peace, this service brings together Palestinians, Israelis, and the international community to remember, honor, and acknowledge the Nakba – when more than half a million Palestinians were displaced from their homes in 1948. CMEP is proud to sponsor this event. The registration is being handled through the American Friends of Combatants for Peace and the link below will take you to their website.

 
Upcoming Webinar: Mystagogia: What Can We Do to Build a Better Future in Palestine and Israel?
May 19, 1 - 3 PM ET
A part of a series of webinars on Christians in the Holy Land with the Association of US Catholic Priests taking place during the pre-Pentecost Novena inviting the Holy Spirit, this webinar will feature some of the key ongoing challenges for peace and a just future in Israel-Palestine in East Jerusalem (demolitions, evictions, and confiscations) and the West Bank (challenges within Palestinian civil society). Each speaker will then address where transformation and glimmers of a “better future” have come from: What do you hope to see happen? Finally, what role can foreign actors play in resolving these aspects of the conflict?
 
Public Statements:
May 2, 2022: CMEP Welcomes Bipartisan Congressional Letter Supporting the Jerusalem Christian Community
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes a bipartisan Congressional letter urging the protection of religious freedom in Jerusalem, organized by Reps. Castro (D-TX) and Bilirakis (R-FL) and signed by Reps. McGovern (D-MA), Andy Harris (R-MD), French Hill (R-AR), Eshoo (D-CA), Speier (D-CA), and Maliatokis (R-NY).

April 28, 2022: CMEP Joins Christian Faith Leaders in Writing to Congress in Support of Palestinian Children and Families Act
CMEP Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, joined 24 other Christian Faith leaders in a letter to all members of Congress in support of HR 2590, The Palestinian Children and Families Act. The letter was made public during a virtual event featuring Congresswoman McCollum and Christian faith leaders, including three from Minnesota, on Tuesday, April 26. The video of the event is viewable here.

April 27, 2022: CMEP Opposes Violations of Status Quo and Calls for Commitment to Religious Freedom
CMEP calls on Secretary Blinken and the Biden Administration to support the Status Quo at Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount and protect the religious freedom of all who call Jerusalem holy.

April 20, 2022: CMEP Joins Coalition Calling for an End to All U.S. Support for the War in Yemen
CMEP joined over 60 National Organizations in a letter to Congress calling for an end to all U.S. support for the war in Yemen.
 
April 14, 2022: CMEP Stands with the Churches of Jerusalem and Prays for the Safety of All Spiritual Pilgrims
CMEP stands in solidarity with the sacred churches of Jerusalem, opposes the police restrictions, and prays for the safety and the ability of all spiritual pilgrims to be able to worship freely in Jerusalem during this holy season.

April 6, 2022: CMEP Stands with the Churches of Jerusalem and Condemns the Illegal Seizure of the Little Petra Hotel
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) stands in solidarity with the sacred churches of Jerusalem and condemns this illegal capture of the hotel.
 

Press Releases:

May 5, 2022: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Announces New Mobilization Manager
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes Brian Evans as the Mobilization Manager.
 
April 28, 2022: CMEP’S Catholic Advisory Council Announces the Fr. Drew Christiansen Holy Land Lecture Series
Hosted by Churches for Middle East Peace’s (CMEP) Catholic Advisory Council (CAC), the lecture series promotes education and advocacy among American Catholics and other Christians about realities in the Holy Land while promoting U.S. policies that contribute toward the need for a just and lasting peace.

April 6, 2022: In Memoriam – Father Drew Christiansen, S.J.
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) received the news on April 6, 2022, that Jesuit priest and CMEP Leadership Council member, Father Drew Christiansen, S.J., passed away as a result of heart complications. We are deeply grieved by this news.
 
 

CMEP in the News:


Holy Land Travel pursuing Justice and Peace, DoJustice Blog, March 25, 2022.
 

Contact Us

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 311
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
(202) 543-1222  info@cmep.org

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