Presbytery of Ohio Valley Partners with the International Center of Bethlehem

by Jo Lucas

Students take a break at Dar al-Kalima School. Photo by Mindy Marchal

The Mission/Social Justice/Peacemaking Committee of the Presbytery of Ohio Valley (POV) held a study in response to the PC(USA)’s call to peace in the Middle East. The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, pastor of Christmas Lutheran Church and director of the International Center of Bethlehem (ICB), served a semester on the faculty of Louisville Seminary, and many in the POV had the chance to hear him. Raheb has written two books, and the committee read them as part of their study. The committee conversation included the question, "what can we do?" Raheb extended an invitation for us to come and see the work and then decide what we might accomplish together. We accepted the invitation, and in the winter of 2006, 13 people from the POV traveled to Bethlehem.

In Bethlehem, the travelers stayed at the guesthouse of the ICB. We toured the Dar Al-Kalima School — a K-12 school for 250 Muslim and Christian children. Guiding principles of the school include creative response to conflict, creativity, Christianity, community and critical thinking. We visited the audiology clinic, which sees over 5,000 patients a year, the wellness clinic, the art studios, the computer labs and the radio studio that was being built as we watched. All of these ministries provide evidence of the vision of the people of Bethlehem. A banner in the ICB reads, “Destruction may be — Creativity shall be.” The truth of that is evident.

In August 2006, the POV voted to partner with the work of the ICB. The partnership includes sending dollars for scholarships to the Dar Al-Kalima School, gathering and sending used digital hearing aids for the audiology clinic, supporting the work of the Middle East Council of Churches, providing travel opportunities with Bethlehem and establishing email pen pal opportunities.

Currently, one of the POV churches has given $5,000 for scholarships to Dar Al-Kalima School. One family sends $400 a month for the work of the ICB. Holiday gifts were sent to the ICB. The first of the used digital hearing aids are in Bethlehem. A trip to Bethlehem and Jerusalem is scheduled for November 7-16, 2007.

Sermons have been given, classes have been held, presentations to congregations have been made, programs for peace groups and presbyteries have been given and prayers have been offered daily for those who traveled and for those we met … and the work continues.