FINLAND & PALESTINE Proceedings of a Joint Workshop

Oeve/opmentofChurch Relations _____________________
It took far too long, until this relations and cooperation became
positively accepted. This period of 10 years, from 1967
till 1978, is the foundation for a partnership type of cooperation,
and one person begins to playa central role in these developments:
Pastor Munib A. Younan.
Cooperation with the Evangelical Episcopal Church was officially
started in 1976, when a missionary couple was sent to Lod.
This cooperation was extended, during the following period, to
Nablus.
4. Partnership Building l Years 1.979-1.997
A starting point of official relations between ELCF and ELCJ could
be defined to the consecration of Bishop Haddad, November 10,
1979, when Bishop of Mikkeli Diocese, Rev. Toiviainen visited
Jerusalem and participated in the ceremony.
What follows is a fairly busy period of contacts and visits. From
ELCJ, several persons visited Finland, some of them more than
once:
Pastor Younan 1981 and 1992, Pastor Smir 1985, Bishop Haddad
in May 1986, Bishop Nassar October 1989. One student
from Ramallah was in vocational training in Ylivieska 91-92.
Also, Father Ibrahim Elias Ayad, representing the Jerusalem
Latin Church and who was, also, a member of the PLO Central
Committee, visited CIR offices in Helsinki. He explained the situation
of Christians in general, and the Palestinian point of view.
Finnish Bishops, Sariola of Lapua diocese visited 1983, Bishop
of Porvoo diocese, Erik Vikstrom participated in the consecration
of Bishop Nassar, 31.10.1986.
Archbishop John Vikstrom visited Jordan, the West Bank and
Israel 1993. In Jordan, he met King Hussein, and received a First
Class Medal of Independence. He met, also, Anglican Archbi­
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