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The Holy Land holds profound significance for United Methodists, as it does for all Christians, Jews and Muslims. When we go there, we “walk where Jesus walked” and feel a connection perhaps never before experienced. We also encounter the real people living and working in this region, all children of one God.
In order to live our values when we visit the Holy Land, UMKR urges all United Methodists to use the UMC General Conference resolutions on Israel/Palestine (see them in the list of resources on the right), especially the resolution on Holy Land Tours. See it on our website
Tell your tour organizer it is important to you that your tour comply with these important aspects of travel in Israel-Palestine.
Walk with the people of our faith in the place where it all began.
Experience the Holy Land of the past and the present by breaking bread and worshiping with the
descendants of the original disciples of Christ
who have kept our faith alive through the ages.
RECOMMENDED TRIPS
To see the tour providers with trips that UMKR would recommend and get
info on their upcoming trips, click here.
RESOURCES
The UMKR flyer on
responsible tourism:
Experience the Holy Land: The United Methodist Way - in color
Experience the Holy Land - B&W
United Methodist resolutions
on Israel/Palestine:
#6031: "Holy Land Tours"
#6111: "Opposition to Israeli Settlements in Palestinian Land"
Organize Your Own Trip
with help from Friends of Sabeel (FOSNA)
See their trip advisors and get started
Methodist Advance Projects
and Partners in the Holy Land:
Whitewashing Israel Apartheid and Occupation
The Kairos Palestine statement on the Chicago lawyers trip in 2019 See it
Responsible Tourism Home Page
Come and See:
A Call from Palestinian Christians
Guidelines for Christians Contemplating
a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
These guidelines were developed in 2010 at a consultative meeting in Geneva to promote justice tourism for pilgrims to Palestine-Israel.
Representing 14 countries, a group of 27 theologians, Palestinian Christian activists and professionals in the tourism industry called on Christian pilgrims to live their faith as they visit the Holy Land, going beyond homage of ancient sites to show concern for the Palestinian people living there whose lives are severely constricted
by the Israeli occupation of their lands.
The meeting was organized by Alternative Tourism Group (ATG) in cooperation with the Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism (ECOT ), Kairos Palestine and the World Council of Churches (WCC) through its initiative the Palestine-Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF).
Holy Land only as spectators, touring holy sites as they
would museums, not knowing that these are living
places of worship and never realizing that their
pilgrimage was missing something very important:
meaningful interaction with those who share our faith.
Questions to ask tour organizers
Whether you are leading a tour or going on one organized
by others, the following questions can help you discern
whether the tour follows UMC resolutions regarding the
Holy Land.
• Will we have opportunities to visit and worship with
Palestinian Christians?
• Can you assure us that none of the hotels or restaurants we will use are located in
the Israeli settlements?
• Will we spend at least one night in Bethlehem with opportunities to meet local people
beyond tourist sites and shopping?
• Will we visit at least two UMC Advance Special Missions? Download UMC Advance Projects
Recommended tours
On our website, you will find tours that can provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
These range from Biblical studies to studies of the current realities of life
in Israel/ Palestine. They all provide significant opportunities to know the people of
the Holy Land.
Click here to see recommended tour providers and their upcoming trips.