Global Christian Leaders Gathered to Pray in Jerusalem
More than 550 Christian leaders from 51 nations traveled to Israel this month for an Eagles’ Wings program that included the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem and an Oct. 3 worship festival at the Tower of David.
The 10-day delegation, led by Eagles’ Wings founder and president Bishop Robert Stearns, took place during Sukkot and ahead of the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The Jerusalem Post reported that the festival, called Awake Jerusalem, brought Christian worshippers and international artists together for an evening of music and worship, with a broadcast planned for viewers abroad.
Ynet’s report said the evening opened with the Hebrew Shema prayer. Delegates later sounded shofars together in prayer. In a separate Ynet interview, Stearns said the purpose of the larger visit was “to pray. But to act,” with leaders returning home better prepared to discuss Israel and engage their own communities.
The gathering drew leaders from Kenya and Nigeria, including Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Nigeria’s Warri Kingdom. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post at the Tower of David on Oct. 4, Atuwatse said peace was not “simply the absence of conflict.” He described his main takeaway from the visit as “there is so much more that unites than divides.” Stearns said meeting people face-to-face could help build understanding between Christians, Jews and Israelis.
The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is held on the first Sunday of October and is rooted in Psalm 122:6. Before this year’s observance, organizers projected participation from Christians in 175 nations. The post-event reports reviewed for this story confirmed the Jerusalem festival and delegation, but did not verify a final worldwide participation total.
–Alan Goforth
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