The Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)'s General Minister and President, participated in a visit to the Middle East by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders in mid-December.  The delegation's trip was an initiative of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative, an ongoing program seeking to promote peace in the Middle East, and particularly in Israel/Palestine.   Rev. Watkins has been an active member of the Initiative.

The delegation's statement begins, "Following a week of praying together and meeting Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians, a delegation of 15 U.S. Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders returned home united in pursuit of peace, with a new, shared sense of urgency. They called for active, fair and firm U.S. leadership in the New Year to restart negotiations for a two-state solution, involving an end to occupation and security for Israel and Palestine. They repeated NILI's goal to build on the Arab Peace Initiative for comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, including peace agreements between Israel and Syria and Lebanon. Leaders of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace (NILI) that organized the trip said they will seek high level meetings with the Obama Administration to offer their support for U.S. leadership for peace."

To read the full statement and the list of delegation participants, please click here.