Nebraska Synod ELCA
Event
Join us in working together for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel. Grab your lunch and log in for our monthly zoom gathering to learn how we can walk with our siblings in the Holy Land. The NSHLA group was formed as a journey of accompaniment with our Christian siblings in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. In its early years, accompaniment trips were made to the Holy Land. Today we look for a variety of ways to strive for justice and peace and to continue to accompany those who live in the Holy Land.
This month we welcome Rev. Mark Brown and focus on the current reality of Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The hospital, established in 1948 by the United Nations and handed over to the Lutheran World Federation in 1950, was created in partnership with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to care for people in the wake of the 1948 conflict. The specialized services of AVH include comprehensive cancer and diabetes care, kidney care and dialysis, skilled nursing and long-term care. Funding for UNRWA was suspended by the US in January of 2024. Pastor Brown will brief us on how the work of AVH and the East Jerusalem Hospital Network is working during the current deepening crises and share insights about how members can be supportive of the life-saving work happening there.
Rev. Mark B. Brown, a retired ELCA Pastor, currently serves as the Co-Convener of the Metro Washington, DC, Synod’s Middle East Peace Team and Core Leader of the US-Lutheran Palestine Israel Justice Network. From 2004 to 2018, he supervised and administered the LWF World Service program in Palestine and Israel, overseeing the financial transactions, reporting, fundraising, communications, and strategic planning of the program, and maintaining relationships on behalf of the LWF with the relevant government authorities, UN agencies, churches, and non-governmental organizations. From 2018 to 2021, he served as Senior Advisor for Advocacy and Fundraising, Middle East/Jerusalem, The Lutheran World Federation.
Rev. Brown was born in Illinois, and is married to Susanne, and now lives in Maryland close to children and grandchildren. Mark is a graduate of Saint Olaf College and Luther Seminary, and has also studied Islam, Christian-Muslim relations, Eastern Christianity, Arabic, and modern Middle Eastern history.
Schedule:
12:30 PM Central – Centering/Introductions– Rev. Kathy Gerking
12:40 PM – Topic: Augusta Victoria Update and Advocacy — Rev. Mark Brown
1:15 PM – Q & A/ Small Group Breakout
1:45 PM – Announcements, Closing Prayer and Wrap Up