Resolution Number: A212
Subject: Support for Partners in the Middle East
Moved by: The Rt. Rev. Peter Coffin Diocese of Ottawa
Seconded By: The Ven. Dr. Richard LeSueur Diocese of Calgary
Note: The mover and the seconder must be members of the General Synod and be present in the House when the resolution is before the synod for debate.
BE IT RESOLVED:
That this General Synod:
- Request the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada to write to the Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, including the dioceses of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, of Cyprus and the Gulf, and of Egypt to express:
- Affirmation of the bonds of fellowship we share as Anglicans with the clergy and people of Jerusalem and the Middle East
- Solidarity with Anglicans and other Christians in Palestine in their struggle for justice and peace
- Commitment to active prayer and education concerning the condition of the Palestinian people and to advocacy for a peaceful and just solution to the conflict in the region.
- Request the Ecojustice Committee and Partners in Mission Committee or their successor, (in cooperation with Faith Worship and Ministry Committee) to study the policy of ECUSA on the Middle East as a basis for formulating a policy for the Anglican Church of Canada in relation to the Middle East.
- Request the Primate of The Anglican Church of Canada to make a solidarity visit to Anglicans and other Christians in Israel and Palestine, and with others seeking peace in the region, and to the extent possible, to extend the visit to other parts of the Middle East, including Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, the Gulf, and/or Egypt.
- Request the EcoJustice Committee or its successor, in cooperation with KAIROS, to
- identify or develop resources for Canadian Anglicans on structural conflict and peace issues in Palestine and Israel
- equip those travelling to the region and suggest people, organizations, and connections in Canada with whom to de-brief upon return.
EXPLANATORY NOTE/BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
- Anglican Partners in the Middle East. The Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East (EPJ&ME) have been friends and companions in mission for many years – a partnership that has been strengthened by visits, pilgrimages, consultations, and work together on issues of shared concern.
Efforts to reach peace with justice in Israel Palestine have been of central importance in this partnership, as well as in relationships with ecumenical, Muslim, and Jewish organizations in the region. In its statements, policies, and advocacy initiatives, The Anglican Church of Canada, as with other partners in the Anglican Communion, has taken the voice, stories, and analysis of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East as its primary point of reference.
Our partners have expressed a sense of isolation and abandonment, compounded by the increasing numbers of pilgrims who are staying away. The work of the Diocese of Jerusalem has continuously suffered. The ongoing destruction of infrastructure and resources has left the diocese with a great financial burden. It has hindered clergy and staff in their work, and has prevented Palestinian Anglicans, other Christians, and Muslims from worship and service.
- Informed Discussion. There is a growing and urgent need for informed, nuanced, and critical discussion of the issues vital to the peoples who inhabit the nations served by the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, and vital to the security of the whole world.
Many resolutions supporting the peace process and the two state solution in Israel-Palestine have been adopted and much advocacy work has been done in the course of the 2004-2007 triennium by Anglican and ecumenical partners– the Anglican Peace and Justice Network, the 13th Anglican Consultative Council, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the United Church of Canada, the World Council of Churches. The Episcopal Church in particular has developed a clear policy base from an Anglican perspective on which the ACC can build. Resolutions have consistently stated that both sides of the conflict should be held to account for the continuing violence and that all parties should seek peace.
- Feeling the effects. The effects of the conflict in Palestine-Israel have been felt beyond the region, including in Canada. In 2005 The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East issued a call for Morally Responsible Investment, requesting partner churches to study and act on any investments in corporations known to benefit from the illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel. Anglican Provinces responded in different ways: The Episcopal Church recommended “corporate engagement” and “positive investment”; The Church of England backed the call with respect to its investments in Caterpillar Inc.; The Anglican Church of Canada has taken no action to date. Regardless of what decisions were considered or taken, the reaction from Israeli and Jewish organizations to the call was immediate and forceful, straining Christian Jewish relations in Canada, of which The Anglican Church of Canada is part.
Source: Partners in Mission Committee
EcoJustice Committee
(name of committee, diocese, etc.)
Submitted by: EcoJustice Committee
A) Does this motion contain within it any financial implications?
Yes ______ No ___X__
B) If yes, has the General Synod Expenditures Committee considered the implications?
Yes ______ No ______