The ELCA social statement For Peace in God's World was adopted by the Churchwide Assembly in 1995.  To learn more about the ways in which the ELCA does advocacy, and its relationship to the social statements of the church, explore "how and why the ELCA does advocacy" on this site.

Key Issues

• Augusta Victoria Hospital

• Gaza and Lebanon

• Separation Barrier

Recent Actions

• Letter to President Bush
  NATIONAL INTERRELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
  JANUARY 31, 2008
   
• Support concerned diplomatic effort to help bring about a ceasefire and avert a further humanitarian crisis in Gaza
  JANUARY 25, 2008
   
• CMEP Welcomes Bond-Rockefeller Christmas Letter to Bush Highlighting Decline of Palestinian Christians and Need for Holy Land Peace
  DECEMBER 21, 2007
   
• Letter From Synod Bishops to House and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Members Regarding Annapolis Meeting
  NOVEMBER 26, 2007
   
• Letter From Synod Bishops to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Regarding Annapolis Meeting
  NOVEMBER 26, 2007
   
• Letter To the Editor From Bishop Duane Pederson Regarding the Annapolis Meeting
  NOVEMBER 26, 2007
   
• Communiqué from Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land
  NOVEMBER 5, 2007
   
• Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
  NOVEMBER 1, 2007
  NATIONAL INTERRELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
   
• Christian, Jewish and Muslim Leaders Meet with Under Secretary Burns
  AUGUST 23, 2007
  NATIONAL INTERRELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
   
• Jewish, Christian and Muslim Leaders Support U.S. Priority on Israeli-Palestinian Peace: Present Policy Concerns in High Level Dialogue at the Department of State
  JUNE 5, 2007
  National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East
   
• Presiding Bishop Hanson, Other Religious Leaders Call on the U.S. to Make Middle East Peace a Priority
  [Read the statement]
  [Read the letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice]
  [Read the ELCA News story]
  ELCA WASHINGTON OFFICE
  DECEMBER, 2006
   
• Have You Been Denied Entry to Israel?
  ELCA WASHINGTON OFFICE
  OCTOBER 20, 2006
  The U.S. Consulate is preparing statistics for the State Department on people who have been denied entry to Israel due to their U.S. citizenship or their religious background. Preliminary reports show that tens of thousands of people have been denied entry to Israel due to their U.S. citizenship or religious background. If you have recently been denied entry to Israel, please complete this form (MS Word document) and send it to the U.S. Consulate to show the impact of the entry policy and to have some hope of changing Israel's current policy.
   

News and Events

• Lutheran Holy Land Bishop, Other Faith Leaders Make Peace Commitments
  >Read the communiqué
  ELCA NEWS
  NOVEMBER 8, 2007
   
• ELCA Presiding Bishop Supports Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference
  ELCA NEWS
  OCTOBER 4, 2007
   
• Bishop Younan from Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Addresses ELCA Assembly
  A video of Bishop Younan's presentation is available online, as well as an ELCA News story.
  ELCA CHURCHWIDE ASSEMBLY
  AUGUST 9, 2007

ELCA Policy Base

• For Peace in God's World ELCA social statement
   
• ELCA message The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
   
• ELCA message Living in a Time of Terrorism
   
• ELCA Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine (2005)

Resources and Historical Documents

• Peace and Conflict Issue Brief Featuring Israel/Palestine Available in "Called To Be a Public Church: 2008 ELCA Voting and Civic Participation Guide"
  NOVEMBER 6, 2007
  ELCA WASHINGTON OFFICE
   
• Congregational Resources for Annapolis Peace Summit
  NOVEMBER 1, 2007
   
• Peace Not Walls Frequently Asked Questions
  MAY 9, 2007
   
• Interview with the Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), about Christians in the Middle East
  Part 1 - YouTube
  Part 2 - YouTube
  APRIL 4, 2007
   
• Secretary Rice Speaks on "Helping Palestinians Build a Better Future"
  ELCA WASHINGTON OFFICE
  OCTOBER 11, 2006
   
• Bishop Hanson Endorses Middle East Peace Resource for Congregations
  ELCA WASHINGTON OFFICE
  MAY 17, 2006
   
• Churches for Middle East Peace write President Bush
  JUNE 20, 2005
   
• Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson addresses Jewish leaders following Churchwide Assembly
  AUGUST 15, 2005
   
• UN Security Council Resolution 242 (you will need to scroll down on this page for the direct link to the resolution)
   
• UN Security Council Resolution 338 (you will need to scroll down on this page for the direct link to the resolution)
   
• UN Security Council Resolution 1397 (you will need to scroll down on this page for the direct link to the resolution)

Archived ELCA Actions and Statements on
Palestine and Israel