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The Rev. Sandra Olewine, a clergy member of the
California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist
Church and a former church liaison to Jerusalem, will present
the fourth annual Wesley Lecture at Reinhardt College. The
public is invited to join students, faculty and staff to hear
“Peace in Palestine & Israel: Roadblocks & Possibilities”” at
2:30 p.m. on March 22, 2007, in the Hagan Chapel (Waleska United
Methodist Church) on the Reinhardt campus in Waleska, Ga.
Reinhardt Chaplain the Rev. Leigh S.
Martin coordinates the annual event, and like last year, the
speaker was selected to coordinate with the College’s Year of
program; this year the focus is on the Middle East.
“The Middle East is a region in our
world that has a long history of political strife,” Martin
said. “It is revered as Holy Land by Jews, Christians and
Muslims. Finding a peaceful solution may not be in the near
future, but as people of faith, we must learn as much as we can
about the region in order to be more informed advocates for
reconciliation.”
Born in Maryland and raised in
California, Olewine is a graduate of the Claremont School of
Theology and has been a pastor and missionary for more than 20
years. For nine-and-a-half years, she served as the UM Church
Liaison to Jerusalem through the denomination’s General Board of
Global Ministries. There, carrying out a ministry of solidarity,
her work focused on connecting people from around the world with
Palestinians and Israelis across the religious, political and
social spectrums, helping visitors to hear the dreams, fears and
hopes of the two peoples of the three faiths living in the Holy
Land. Living in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, she experienced
first-hand the traumas and joys of the peoples of the land,
particularly that of the Palestinian Christian community. She
has been given numerous awards recognizing her work for peace
and justice in the Middle East.
Throughout her ministry, Olewine has
worked across social, racial and economic borders, attempting to
create a sense of solidarity among diverse communities. She is
driven by a passion for the Gospel that compels her to seek the
healing of creation through acts of compassion, justice and
mercy. Known as an inspired preacher, writer and teacher, she is
working to start a new ministry in downtown Long Beach, Calif.,
a role she accepted in July 2006. She continues to write and
speak with authority about life under occupation and its effects
on both Palestinians and Israelis.
In addition to giving the Wesley
Lecture, Olewine will also be leading a simulation game on Wed.
March 21, from 1 - 2:15 p.m. in the Community Room of the Gordy
Center.
“This will be
a really neat way to draw students, faculty and others into the
situations that people in the Middle East experience,” Martin
said. “It’s one thing to talk about it; it’s quite another to
feel and live them. Rev. Olewine comes to us fully aware of the
roadblocks to peace in the region. Her experience isn’t
theoretical, it’s first-hand. And it’s not based on a visit or
two; she lived there for many years. I think we can learn a
great deal from her perspective.”
In addition, Olewine will be the
featured speaker at the student-led worship experience, Real
Deal, on Wed., March 21 from 8 - 9:30 p.m. in the Main Dining
Room, Gordy Center.
For more information, see
www.reinhardt.edu/YOME/YOME_Sandra_Olewine_Wesley_Lecture_03_21_22_07.htm
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