Dear Friends of Clergy Beyond Borders,
You are the strongest supporters of our ongoing work to both spread education about the world's religions, and support social justice for all. That is why we are turning to you now - we need your help.
Recently, an increasing tendency among Arab Christians to migrate from the Middle East has reached a tipping point. In the last decade alone the 7% of the population of Palestine that is Christian has fallen to 1.7%. Much of this occurred in the last three years. This mass exodus is continuing, and growing in momentum, because Christians feel that they are under threat by their Muslim neighbors or the ongoing regional instability caused by regime change and war, not to mention the tremendous impact of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. In these unprecedented times in the Middle East, Clergy Beyond Borders has decided to take unprecedented steps to reverse this disheartening tide.
Over the past three months Clergy Beyond Borders has recruited an experienced and influential core team of 6 Muslim and Christian leaders who will travel to Jordan and Palestine on April 13th for one week to meet with Christian leaders and prominent politicians in Jordan and Palestine. We have also been invited to celebrate Easter in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity and we, Muslim and Christian clergy, have accepted. In June, we will return with a larger team of 15 Muslim and Christian leaders to Jordan and Palestine, and are working on expanding the route to include Lebanon, Egypt, and the Vatican, to participate in important policy discussions to solidify hopes and visions for more integrated, better protected, Arab Christian communities across the Middle East and North Africa. Our commitments to supporting Arab Christians have drawn the attention of important political and religious figures as well as news media throughout the region and beyond. Our trip will be covered by reporters from CNN, Aljazeera, and others.
During our trip, we are scheduled to meet with members of the Jordanian Royal Court, including, possibly, King Abdullah, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In Jordan we will stop in the capital, Amman, and in Palestine we will stop in Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. In each city we visit we will meet local religious leaders and participate in religious services.
As you know, two trips of this scale requires a great deal of organizing and financial support. While we have raised some of the needed funds, we need $75,000 to make these voyages possible. We are therefore turning to you, a member of the CBB family, for a tax-deductible contribution that will enable this important and timely project. To make a tax-deductible donation today, please visit our donation page, or send a check to:
Clergy Beyond Borders
P.O. BOX 1976
Frederick, MD 21702
*Your tax-deductible donations can also be made through CBB Vice President Steven D. Martin's Vital Visions website.
Your contribution of even $10, $25, or $50 would be significant. Each of you who donates to this trip, with your permission, will be recognized on this Special Thanks donor appreciation page of our website, ClergryBeyondBorders.org. Donors who contribute $500 or more will be thanked on all of our social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter (@1Ark1Humanity), and our official YouTube channel. After the trip, those who contributed $1,000 or more will be invited to a special dinner with CBB leaders and members of the team traveling to Jordan and Palestine in April as well as the larger team that will travel in June. For further details on donor tokens of appreciation please read the righthand panel of this page (forthcoming).
We believe that different religions are each paths in the same faith. CBB engages diverse peoples around the world to build bridges of lasting peace and mutual understanding, learn, teach, and create better informed, safer, more closely interconnected, and compassionate communities.
Make a difference. Join the 2014 Middle East Caravan of Reconciliation and help bring Muslims and Christians together in peaceful coexistence. To read more about the inspiration, purpose, and vision for the 2014 Middle East Caravan of Reconciliation, click here to download Imam Yahya Hendi's recent article about the dwindling numbers of Arab Christians in the Middle East.
With tremendous gratitude and prayers of peace to you for your ongoing generosity and support,
Imam Yahya Hendi, President
Rev. Steven D. Martin, Vice President
Rabbi Gerry Serotta, Executive Director
Salaam, Pax, Shalom...
Help Spread the word! Direct friends, family, and community members to visit us at www.ClergyBeyondBorders.org and join the 2014 Middle East Caravan of Reconciliation by generously providing tax-deductible donations today.
You are the strongest supporters of our ongoing work to both spread education about the world's religions, and support social justice for all. That is why we are turning to you now - we need your help.
Recently, an increasing tendency among Arab Christians to migrate from the Middle East has reached a tipping point. In the last decade alone the 7% of the population of Palestine that is Christian has fallen to 1.7%. Much of this occurred in the last three years. This mass exodus is continuing, and growing in momentum, because Christians feel that they are under threat by their Muslim neighbors or the ongoing regional instability caused by regime change and war, not to mention the tremendous impact of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. In these unprecedented times in the Middle East, Clergy Beyond Borders has decided to take unprecedented steps to reverse this disheartening tide.
Over the past three months Clergy Beyond Borders has recruited an experienced and influential core team of 6 Muslim and Christian leaders who will travel to Jordan and Palestine on April 13th for one week to meet with Christian leaders and prominent politicians in Jordan and Palestine. We have also been invited to celebrate Easter in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity and we, Muslim and Christian clergy, have accepted. In June, we will return with a larger team of 15 Muslim and Christian leaders to Jordan and Palestine, and are working on expanding the route to include Lebanon, Egypt, and the Vatican, to participate in important policy discussions to solidify hopes and visions for more integrated, better protected, Arab Christian communities across the Middle East and North Africa. Our commitments to supporting Arab Christians have drawn the attention of important political and religious figures as well as news media throughout the region and beyond. Our trip will be covered by reporters from CNN, Aljazeera, and others.
During our trip, we are scheduled to meet with members of the Jordanian Royal Court, including, possibly, King Abdullah, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In Jordan we will stop in the capital, Amman, and in Palestine we will stop in Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. In each city we visit we will meet local religious leaders and participate in religious services.
As you know, two trips of this scale requires a great deal of organizing and financial support. While we have raised some of the needed funds, we need $75,000 to make these voyages possible. We are therefore turning to you, a member of the CBB family, for a tax-deductible contribution that will enable this important and timely project. To make a tax-deductible donation today, please visit our donation page, or send a check to:
Clergy Beyond Borders
P.O. BOX 1976
Frederick, MD 21702
*Your tax-deductible donations can also be made through CBB Vice President Steven D. Martin's Vital Visions website.
Your contribution of even $10, $25, or $50 would be significant. Each of you who donates to this trip, with your permission, will be recognized on this Special Thanks donor appreciation page of our website, ClergryBeyondBorders.org. Donors who contribute $500 or more will be thanked on all of our social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter (@1Ark1Humanity), and our official YouTube channel. After the trip, those who contributed $1,000 or more will be invited to a special dinner with CBB leaders and members of the team traveling to Jordan and Palestine in April as well as the larger team that will travel in June. For further details on donor tokens of appreciation please read the righthand panel of this page (forthcoming).
We believe that different religions are each paths in the same faith. CBB engages diverse peoples around the world to build bridges of lasting peace and mutual understanding, learn, teach, and create better informed, safer, more closely interconnected, and compassionate communities.
Make a difference. Join the 2014 Middle East Caravan of Reconciliation and help bring Muslims and Christians together in peaceful coexistence. To read more about the inspiration, purpose, and vision for the 2014 Middle East Caravan of Reconciliation, click here to download Imam Yahya Hendi's recent article about the dwindling numbers of Arab Christians in the Middle East.
With tremendous gratitude and prayers of peace to you for your ongoing generosity and support,
Imam Yahya Hendi, President
Rev. Steven D. Martin, Vice President
Rabbi Gerry Serotta, Executive Director
Salaam, Pax, Shalom...
Help Spread the word! Direct friends, family, and community members to visit us at www.ClergyBeyondBorders.org and join the 2014 Middle East Caravan of Reconciliation by generously providing tax-deductible donations today.
