ELCA Working to Meet Needs of Syrian Refugees in Neighboring Jordan
The logo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is responding to the needs of Syrian refugees in Jordan, where an estimated 150,000 Syrians — 39,600 of which are registered with the United Nations as refugees — have fled. As the conflict in Syria continues to worsen, some Syrians have also fled to Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey.
The Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and president of The Lutheran World Federation, has been in conversation with Jordanian officials about how Lutherans can best be involved in addressing the needs of Syrian refugees. He is helping to identify ways in which his church, the ELCA and The Lutheran World Federation can deepen their participation in relief efforts.
Both the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land are member churches of The Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of 143 member churches in 79 countries all over the world. The ELCA is the federation’s only member church from the United States.
“We have offered our services to respond in a way that addresses the needs both of the Syrian refugees and of the host government of Jordan,” said Younan. Receiving refugees is difficult work that can stretch resources and affect political dynamics in host countries.
