Wesleyan Communities and the World Beyond Christianity “Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth for Methodists?” Barry E. Bryant, Ph.D. Associate Professor of United Methodist and Wesleyan Studies Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary 2121 Sheridan Road Evanston, IL 60201 USA
[email protected] Kairos Palestine: A moment of truth- a word of faith, hope, and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering (2009) is an ecumenical document written by 15 Christian leaders in Palestine representing Catholic, Greek, Lutheran, Anglican, Episcopal, and Evangelical churches.1 It was not intended to be a “theoretical theological study or a policy paper, but is rather a document of “faith and work’” that is the result of “prayer, reflection and an exchange of opinion.”2 When it was released 11 December 2009 a delegation from South Africa was in attendance with a letter from Desmond Tutu, becoming the first nation to endorse the document. On 15 December 2009, church leaders from the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic, Syrian Orthodox, Maronite, Ethiopian, Greek Catholic, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, and Lutheran Churches met in Jerusalem to endorse the statement, writing, “We support them and stand by them in their faith, their hope, their love and their vision for the future.”3 Shortly thereafter responses came from the World Council of Churches, the All Africa Council of Churches, Christian groups in India, Korea, Germany, Holland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Costa Rica, among others.4 From the start Kairos Palestine