Resolution for Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation in the Holy Land

The 123rd Synod of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster is an important gathering of clergy and elected lay delegates from parishes across the diocese, convened to pray, discern, and make decisions about the life and mission of the Church. A “synod” is derived from a Greek word meaning “journeying together,” and it functions as both a legislative body and a spiritual assembly. Held every two years, Synod is a time to review and respond to the needs of the Church and wider community, receive reports on diocesan initiatives, approve budgets, and consider motions that shape the diocese’s direction and witness. 

To that end, and at the recommendation of the Resolutions Committee, the following information is being made available here regarding the Resolution for Peace, Justice, and Reconciliation in the Holy Land

Moved: Shehnaz Hozaima Cavey

Seconded: The Reverend Helen Dunn 

Be it resolved that this synod:

1. Acknowledge the moral and human urgency of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank;

2. Affirm its commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land, grounded in respect for the Rome Statute, International Law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

3. Request that the Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster consider calling upon the following diocesan bodies to make, as a shared priority in the coming biennium, the active development and promotion of initiatives that support the Anglican Church of Canada’s ongoing call for peace, justice, and reconciliation in the Holy Land:

• The Justice and Peace Unit
• The Ecumenical and Multi-Faith Unit
• Alongside Hope (PWRDF)
• The Refugee Unit
• Anglican Formation and Studies
• The Christian Formation Missioner

4. Further request that the Bishop invite, subject to available funding, these diocesan bodies to collaborate in supporting the Church’s witness for justice and peace in the Holy Land by:

• Developing and sharing educational materials and theological reflections for use in parishes;
• Hosting diocesan-wide learning events, webinars, or speaker series on the history, complexity, and current realities of the region;
• Creating opportunities for interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, particularly with Jewish, Muslim, and Palestinian Christian communities;
• Providing liturgical and prayer resources focused on peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land;
• Encouraging parish-based advocacy initiatives, including letter-writing campaigns, informed civic engagement, and participation in public witness;
• Promoting avenues for humanitarian support and solidarity, such as fundraising efforts for Anglican ministries in Gaza and partnerships with organizations including the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund.

5. Request that these diocesan bodies include updates on work carried out in response to this resolution in their reports to the 2027 Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster;

6. Request that the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism be reviewed and considered for adoption by Diocesan Council as a framework for identifying and addressing antisemitism in a manner that upholds the rights, dignity and safety of Jewish individuals and communities, while also affirming the equal dignity, safety, and inalienable rights of Christian and Muslim peoples and their communities.

Peace, Justice and Reconciliation in the Holy Land

RATIONALE: This resolution is brought forward in response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and the enduring need for a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land. As people of faith and followers of Christ, we are called to respond with compassion, clarity, and moral courage to the suffering of others - especially when human dignity is threatened, and lives are at risk.

1. Affirming Human Dignity and International Law:
It is believed that the Diocese of New Westminster recognizes the critical importance of international legal frameworks, including the Rome Statute, International Humanitarian Law, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also believed that the Diocese upholds these frameworks to protect the life of innocent civilians, uphold justice, and pursue a peaceful resolution to unresolved conflict. These instruments reflect the Church’s own theological conviction that every human being is created in the image of God and is entitled to safety, dignity, and freedom.

2. Responding to the Crisis in Gaza:
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is urgent and severe. Thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians, many of whom are babies and children, have been killed, injured, maimed and displaced. Access to food, water, medicine, and shelter has been catastrophically hindered. Churches and hospitals, including those operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, have been either destroyed or made wholly non-functioning. This resolution acknowledges the moral urgency of this crisis, and also affirms the Church’s role in bearing public witness to truth, peace, and mercy.

3. Equipping the Diocese to Act Faithfully:
The resolution calls upon several diocesan bodies - including the Justice and Peace Unit, Alongside Hope (PWRDF), the Refugee Unit, and others - to collaborate intentionally in advancing the Anglican Church’s call to peace and justice in the region. The listed actions are grounded in what our Church can faithfully offer: theological reflection, education, interfaith engagement, advocacy, prayer, and humanitarian solidarity. These are not partisan political interventions, but deeply spiritual responses to the witness of suffering and injustice.

4. Solidarity with All Peoples:
This resolution affirms a vision of peace that includes the safety and flourishing of Palestinians and Israelis alike — Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities all bearing the weight of violence and trauma. Adopting the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism provides a framework to name and oppose antisemitism clearly, while also protecting space for necessary, good-faith critique of government policy and military occupation. In doing so, the Diocese upholds its rejection of all forms of racism, including antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian discrimination.

5. Witnessing to a Christ-Centred Gospel:
This resolution is, at heart, an invitation to deeper discipleship. It calls us to act not out of fear or ideology, but out of love for our neighbours. It also calls us to bear hope that peace, grounded in justice, is possible. Through learning, prayer, and action, the Diocese of New Westminster seeks to bear witness to the reconciling love of Christ, and to walk in solidarity with those suffering in the Holy Land of His birth, death, and resurrection.

Supporting Resources:

Archbishop of New Westminster – Letter on Gaza, May 13, 2025
Anglican Church of Canada – Church leaders call for permanent ceasefire
Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem – Updates on humanitarian and hospital ministries
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund – Support for Gaza and regional partners
Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism – Full text and background
Government of Canada – Joint statement by Canada, the UK, and France on Gaza