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BY LINDA WORTHINGTON
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Since 1994, Janet Lahr Lewis has worked in the Holy Land, or as she says, "the not-so-holy land."

During a brief December visit in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, Lewis spoke at several churches, sharing the story of conditions inside Jerusalem, the West Bank, Bethlehem and Gaza.

Her message centered around what is life is like in the Holy Land, the difficulties for Palestinians to work or live in the area and the plight of Christians in the land where Christianity began. She also offered ideas for churches and individuals to respond.

According to Lewis, only a small area of the West Bank near Jericho and in the north is under Palestinian control. "The rest is Palestine in name but controlled by Israel. Many roads are for Israelis only, even when they go through Palestine," she said. "Some go through Palestinian olive groves, which owners can't access because the Israelis control the roads and 50-feet on each side."

For people to move anywhere, to jobs, schools, shopping or home, they must have permits, which the Israeli government gives on a selective basis, first to Israelis and sometimes a "second class" permit to Palestinians, said Lewis.

The Palestinian cities of Hebron, Bethlehem and Jeneen are virtually prisons, she said. "You can improve conditions inside a prison, but it's still a prison."

Lewis, who is educated in civil engineering, architectural design and theater arts, explained how she ended up spending a good part of her adult life in the Holy Land.

Her journey began with "a typical Holy Land tour and seeing the devastating consequences of the ongoing illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza," she said. "I experienced an undeniable push to go back."

She was a volunteer in Galilee for a few years with Father Elias Chacour, a recipient of the United Methodist Peace Award and now an archbishop of the Greek Catholic Church. In 1997, she moved to Bethlehem where she lived with her neighbors "under the heavy hand of injustice and military occupation."

She worked for 10 years with Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, until 2007, including time both before and since the General Board of Global Ministries commissioned her in 2001.

Her job today is as a liaison between ecumenical groups and Israel and Palestine. She is the first non-ordained person in the position.

"She helps people coming to Jerusalem," said the Rev. Monroe Wright, pastor of Lanham UMC, who is her Baltimore-Washington Conference contact. "She is our United Methodist presence on the ground since we have no churches there."

Lewis' work focuses on activism and advocacy. She educates visitors about the realities of the situation, organizes conferences and hosts delegations to the area.

Despite the General Conference's resolution on responsible tourism to the Holy Land, Lewis says few groups or individuals contact her.

"It happens constantly that people come and we don't know it," she said "They don't realize we're there."

Lewis can do a lot to help a tour group be better educated, more aware of the issues and, more importantly, to meet local Palestinians whose lives are impacted every day by the oppression. She also arranges visits with some of the many Israelis who deplore the military occupation as much as the Palestinians do. "Several secular groups in Israel are working for Palestinian rights," she said.

"If nothing else, I can send information and suggest Web sites to help," she said. "We also help with what you can do when you go home - everything from praying to lobbying Congress."

Lewis can make arrangements for Volunteers in Mission teams so the team not only has a good volunteer work experience, sees all the traditional sites, but also meets and spends significant time with Palestinian families.

"In October, a West Virginia VIM group went to Zababdeh, where they'd not seen Americans in years," she said as an illustration. They worked ecumenically with Catholic Christians and Muslims from the village and every evening they visited a different family. Their attention made a huge impact on the families, she said.

"Palestinian Christians have been in the Holy Land for 2,000 years, but many are giving up and leaving. It would be a real crime if there are no more Christians in the Holy Land," she said.

"Christ calls us all to be ministers of justice," she said. "I answer this call by working for a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis, so that reconciliation and healing can occur."

To contact Janet Lahr Lewis, e-mail Her missionary support code is #14183Z.