What does the Christian ministry of reconciliation look like in a world increasingly characterised by conflict and polarisation? That’s the question a group of young church leaders will be engaging with as they visit the Holy Land from 15 to 27 April 2024.
The British Trust for Tantur offers grants for study programmes and research at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem. Next year, however, it is organising a fully funded ecumenical pilgrimage for a group of thirty 21-35 year-olds who exercise some sort of leadership role within a church context.
The trip will be based at Tantur, which overlooks Bethlehem, and will include visits to historic sites and to communities experiencing the contemporary challenges of living in Israel-Palestine. There will be opportunities for discussion, reflection and spiritual engagement led by scholars and local practitioners.
The last trip of this type happened 8 years ago, and Baptist minister, Rev Simon Goddard was one of the participants. He’s now a trustee of the British Trust and says that:
“The journey of reconciliation in 2015 was a significant formational experience for me. It was a unique learning opportunity that enabled me to hear the story of the Holy Land from different perspectives and to meet the people who live there. It was also an opportunity to engage with and learn from those in different Christian traditions to my own, and to make new friends. It’s a joy and a privilege to be going back, and through the Trust, to be part of offering this amazing experience to a new generation of church leaders.”
Find further information and apply online. The closing date is 30 April 2023.