by Jim Fletcher

When superstar Christian author Donald Miller leveled a host of unsubstantiated charges against Israel in a blog post November 21 (www.storylineblog.com), many Evangelicals were caught off guard.

After all, how could “one of them” attack Israel in such a fashion and seemingly maintain his status among, primarily, 20-somethings? Miller’s post didn’t catch the members of a recent delegation to Israel off guard. A trend among younger Christians to identify with the Palestinians was one of the reasons a unique group met at a picturesque kibbutz resort outside Jerusalem.

Dubbed the Jerusalem Consultation on the Mainline Protestant Churches and the State of Israel, the meeting, held November 5-8, featured pro-Israel activists from around the world, including Assyrian and Coptic Christians, European pastors and Umar Mulinde, the Ugandan pastor burned in an acid attack outside his church in Kampala on Christmas eve, 2011.

The consultation was considered a breakthrough in the sharing of ideas and experiences and networking opportunities. Organized by Dr. Petra Heldt of The Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity, and Alan Schneider, director of B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem, the consultation featured addresses from the attendees and tours of the country…more.