Red Letter Christians, a Christian organization mobilizing a movement of believers who live out Jesus’ counter-cultural teachings, raised and disseminated over $130,000 for humanitarian relief in Gaza and to support Palestinian-led peacebuilding efforts. Red Letter Christians launched an initial fundraiser with artist Kelly Latimore, where individuals could receive a limited edition signed print of Latimore’s “Christ in the Rubble” after making a donation of $100 or more. The campaign raised over $100,000 from over 1,000 individuals in less than one week. That same week, RLC partnered with Bethlehem Bible College, Global Immersion, Churches for Middle East Peace, Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East, and others to live-stream from Bethlehem “Christ in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Lament,” featuring a now viral sermon by Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian and Dean of Bethlehem Bible College. The sermon was viewed by over 1 million people on social media and was covered by international media including Time and Al Jazeera.
Red Letter Christians signed a Memorandum of Agreement with The Shepherd Society, the outreach branch of Bethlehem Bible College, after the conclusion of the fundraiser in order to securely transfer the funds to trusted, hyper-local organizations providing humanitarian relief in Gaza. Staff at Shepherd Society have both a robust knowledge of local faith organizations on the ground in Gaza and an established process for securely transferring funds from U.S. donors to Palestine, making them an ideal partner for the transfer of funds.
Together with Red Letter Christians and Churches for Middle East Peace, Shepherd Society developed a list of churches and organizations that will be the beneficiaries, many of which have been directly impacted by ongoing violence: Holy Family Latin Parish, St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church, Gaza Baptist Church, Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Dar al Kalima University, YMCA in North Gaza, The Lighthouse School (Al Manara School), and Middle East Council of Churches. Limited funds are being reserved for rebuilding once supplies become available for such projects.
Those who wish to make a donation to Shepherd Society for humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts in Palestine can learn more about making a secure gift on the Bethlehem Bible Co. website.
About Red Letter Christians
Red Letter Christians is a faith-rooted organization dedicated to culture change and shifting the narrative around faith and politics. RLC focuses on civic engagement, direct action, and movement building through storytelling and social justice. We seek to amplify the voices of those on the margins to help counter toxic evangelicalism and to incite transformative social change.
About The Shepherd Society
The mission of The Shepherd Society is to provide a channel for the global family to encourage and financially assist struggling people as a response to the Gospel call to love our neighbors. Shepherd Society partners with international organizations, Christian institutions, and churches to extend Christ’s love in a practical way.