Antisemitism is a real and persistent evil that must be exposed and eradicated. However, the charge of antisemitism can also be a highly potent weapon against the movement for Palestinian rights. Today that weapon is being used throughout the US and in many other countries to
destroy personal reputations,
charge some individuals with crimes,
rob others of valuable opportunities,
intimidate private and governmental institutions, and
shut down free speech on campuses. Our speakers will take a close look at this controversial question as it impacts the church, and discuss how we can appropriately respond.
There is so much to glean from the experience and insight of these leaders:  Bishop Hope Morgan Ward
Ward is the Resident Bishop for the North Carolina Conference in the United Methodist Church. During her many years of church service, she has been a youth director, Christian educator, pastor, Director of Connectional Ministries, and District Superintendent in the North Carolina Conference.
Ward has served as president of the UMC's largest agency for ministry, the General Board of Global Ministries, and also as president of JustPeace, the UMC's Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation of the UMC.
Now she serves on the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) and oversees the Vietnam Mission Initiative.
Bishop Ward has visited Israel/Palestine more than once, including with a special delegation of women bishops organized by GBCS, and she was the chair of the UMC's Israel-Palestine Task Force created by General Conference 2016. _________________________________________________  Dr. Mark Braverman
Mark has deep roots in the Holy Land – his grandfather, a fifth generation Palestinian Jew, was born in Jerusalem, emigrating to the U.S. as a young man. Mark grew up in the U.S. and was raised in the Jewish tradition, studying Bible, Hebrew literature, and Jewish history.
Returning to Israel/Palestine in 2006, he was transformed by witnessing the occupation of Palestine and by encounters with Muslim, Christian and Jewish activists and civil society leaders.
Since then, Mark has devoted himself full-time to the Israel/Palestine conflict. He has been closely involved in the growth of the international church movement to support the Palestinian cause. In 2009, he participated in the launch of the Kairos Palestine document in Bethlehem.
Braverman is a co-founder and the Executive Director of Kairos USA, a movement that mobilizes American Christians to take a prophetic stance for justice in Israel/Palestine. He is also a celebrated international speaker and author; his books include Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews, and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land, and A Wall in Jerusalem: Hope, Healing, and the Struggle for Justice in Israel and Palestine (click those titles to learn more about them).
This webinar will be an intriguing opportunity for all of us to examine a delicate issue that has so deeply affected us within the church and throughout society. |
