Reverend

Steven Khoury
Steven Khoury
Steven Khoury, December 2021
Born
Jerusalem
EducationPastoral Ministry and Theology (B.A.)
Alma materBaptist Bible College
Occupations
  • Pastor
  • Author
OrganizationHoly Land Missions
Websiteholylandmissions.org

Rev. Steven Naim Khoury is a Palestinian Arab pastor and author. He is the pastor of The First Baptist Church in Bethlehem and Calvary Church in Jerusalem. Khoury is the president of the "Holy Land Missions" organization.[1][2][3]

Biography

Steven Naim Khoury was born in Jerusalem. His father, Dr. Naim Khoury, is the founding pastor of First Baptist Church in Bethlehem. Khoury grew up in Bethlehem and attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, where he earned a bachelor's degree in pastoral ministry and theology.[2][1][3]

Career

Khoury is the president of "Holy Land Missions", a non-profit organization which was established in 1979 by his family. The organization provides health and financial aid to needy families in the region and supports the largest evangelical Arab ministries in the Holy Land.

Steven Khoury is the pastor of The First Baptist Church in Bethlehem which was established by his father, Dr. Naim Khoury. He is also the pastor of Calvary Church in Jerusalem.[2][1]

As a Christian pastor he has faced persecution, including being attacked for his beliefs. His uncle was murdered, his father was shot at on multiple occasions and his religious establishments have been firebombed and defaced.[2][4][5][3]

In the late 2000s, following a meeting with David Nekrutman of the Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC), the two decided work together to help the disadvantaged and persecuted Christian community living in Bethlehem and its surrounding areas. Initially, it was facilitated by the two through the center via a food voucher program and was later instituted through the center's "Blessing Bethlehem" aid organization which was established in 2016.[6]

In 2012, Khoury was informed by Palestinian Authority officials that his church, The First Baptist Church in Bethlehem, lacked the authority to function as a religious institution under PA jurisdiction.[7]

In July 2014, the congregation of Calvary Baptist Church, which Khoury ministers, was evicted out of their building in the Shuafat area of Eastern Jerusalem after Islamists threatened their landlord. This eviction came eight years after Khoury's organization "Holy Land Missions" was forced to close another church in Beit Hanina in 2006.[5][8][9]

In January 2020, Khoury called out for peace following U.S. President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century", this in contrast to the Palestinian Authority which called out for mass demonstrations and violence.[10]

In 2023, Khoury, along with members of The Isaiah Projects organization, led a humanitarian effort to save Dina, a Gazan woman whose husband was murdered over a property dispute. The joint effort helped to secure safe passage for Dina from Gaza to Bethlehem in the West Bank.[11]

Works

  • Diplomatic Christianity (2008) – ASIN B002JMEV20
  • In the Backyard of Jesus (2012) – ISBN 978-0882640549

References

  1. 1 2 3 Baker, Deirdre (15 October 2016). "Khoury headlines 'Night to Honor Israel'". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 SCHRAUGER, BRIAN (24 December 2014). "O Little Town: Missing in Bethlehem". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Hollenbeck, Gail (27 October 2012). "Christian Arab takes Jesus, the Gospel to Middle East". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  4. ↑ ANDERSON, TROY (10 December 2015). "Israeli Arab Pastor Preaches in the Dangerous Backyard of Jesus". Charisma News. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Palestinian Church Forced Out of Building in East Jerusalem, Israel". Morning Star News. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  6. ↑ CALVERT, PAUL (23 December 2019). "David Nekrutman: Connecting Christians". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Van Zile, Dexter (13 March 2012). "Exclusive: Baptist Church in Bethlehem Declared Illegitimate By Palestinian Authority". The Algemeiner. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "Eastern Jerusalem Church Forced to Close After Years of Islamist Harassment". The Algemeiner. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Why are Christians leaving the Holy Land?". Fox News. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  10. ↑ "On the Streets of Bethlehem as Trump Announces 'Deal of the Century'". Israel Today. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  11. ↑ MITCHELL, CHRIS (3 August 2023). "Christian, Jewish Ministries Unite to Help Persecuted Christian Widow Escape Gaza". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
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