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Nonetheless, the church in the Holy Land has not escaped the suffering brought about from nearly a century of political and economic unrest. The growth and outreach of the church is severely hampered by the ongoing conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. On top of this, the Jewish and Muslim majorities, by their sheer numbers, are gradually squeezing out any Christian presence here, making the church very vulnerable and susceptible to changing political winds.

Another believing community in the Holy Land is the Messianic Jews. God is doing a great work among them, too, and the number of Messianic assemblies is growing. Some estimates report the number of Messianic Jews to be approximately 3,000. Like the Palestinians, they have their own congregations and institutions. Palestinian Christians praise the Lord for these brothers and sisters in Christ. It is not easy for them to express their faith openly. Israeli monitoring organizations have been set up to track their mission activities, and attempts are being made in the Israeli Knesset to pass legislation making it illegal for them to possess Christian literature or to evangelize.

Unless the world understands the precariousness of this remnant of faithful believers—Palestinian and Jewish—who are determined to keep the gospel light shining, pilgrims to this land of promise may visit our shrines and churches yet never meet a local Christian. Christians here believe that despite the darkness of the hour there is still hope for the Middle East, for Palestine/Israel. Why? Because God's people, those redeemed by the blood of Jesus, are still here.

The church of Jesus Christ in the Holy Land needs the prayers and support of its brothers and sisters in the West. Our churches have taken the Great Commission to heart. They have planted churches in different parts of the land. Some have their own institutions and schools. Without their influence, Christianity in the Holy Land would be nearly extinct.

It is unfortunate that some Christians from the West believe God gave the land solely to the Jewish people. The resident Arab population, Christians and Muslims, are dismissed as trespassers or a stumbling block to the fulfillment of prophecies.

Very soon the church in Bethlehem and the rest of Palestine will celebrate a new millennium. The challenge facing the church for the year 2000 and beyond is how to be a catalyst of Christ's love, peace, hope, and renewal. As the church moves forward in proclaiming the true faith by word and deed, may the eyes of the world be drawn to the Middle East—not, we pray, to view clashes between warring parties, but to behold afresh the miracle of God incarnate in the lives of dedicated disciples. Then, from Bethlehem and Jerusalem, Christ, the Savior of the world, may once again be lifted up and glorified.

Bishara Awad, 59, is founder (in 1979) and president of Bethlehem Bible College in the West Bank. In 1948 he and his Palestinian family became refugees. That same year he lost his father to a stray bullet during the fighting surrounding Israel's statehood. Since 1972, Awad had been a leader among the evangelical churches in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. He currently attends the East Jerusalem International Baptist Church. Bethlehem Bible College is located on Hebron Road and welcomes visitors. E-mail: bethbc@planet.edu

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November 16 1998, Vol. 42, No. 13