Bringing Four More Christian Leaders Into the World!

After a year and a half of lockdowns due to Covid19, we were close to the end of the pandemic. But little did we know that here in Palestine, it is almost impossible to have a normal life! We are under another wave of attacks and clashes due to the continuous discrimination, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing that we are still facing. (If you want to know more about what I’m talking about, please read our president’s article here.) Yet, as the resilient people we are, we keep moving, living, learning, and teaching life. At Bethlehem Bible College, we are doing our best to raise up Palestinian Christian leaders to be influencers in their communities and the world!

 

Four of our upcoming leaders just finished their seminar projects:

 

Christian Sacrifice Between the Bible and Folklore

Lourd Babish chose this subject because sacrifice is one of the most important constants of the Christian faith. In her paper, she presents the sequence of sacrifices in the Old Testament since Adam, to God’s arrangement for offering sacrifices in the Book of Leviticus, to Christ, the greatest sacrifice, reaching Paul’s teachings. She also spoke about the concept of sacrifice in society, as we have customs in Arabic culture of slaughtering a sheep or calf when a baby is born or for luck or protection. Lourd spoke against this kind of habit because there is only one sacrifice, Jesus Christ!

 

Indulgences

Mariana Qumsieh presented in her research the motives that led to the emergence of indulgences, the lives of reformers who carried the banner of reform, and the church’s pressures on those reformers. In her paper, she talked about how Evangelical reformers have taken the Bible as the sole source of belief. She discussed the results of returning to the Bible and how reading the word of God changes people’s lives.

 

Homosexuality and the Church

Alfred Ghawali talked about the history of homosexuality, its causes, a biblical view, and the church’s position. His research covered the shame/honor culture in Palestine regarding anything related to sex. He also discussed the reasons behind why people do not speak about homosexuality. He asked, “Is it fear? Or religiosity? Is the reason for ignorance because we do not have enough resources on the subject?” Alfred talked about all this and much more from his research.

 

Violence against Women in Palestine

Madline Khouri witnessed violence in her home, was placed in a foster home, and experienced psychological and physical violence there. Her experience represents the stories of many women in our society, which was her motivation for choosing this topic.

Her research is based on reports and studies on violence against women in Palestine. The research discussed several topics, including types of violence, the causes, the impact, and the numbers of battered women in Palestine.

 

We are very proud of our students for working so hard during such times. We pray for their future as they are leaving us. May they be faithful workers laboring for the Lord!