Friends of the Holy Land, a charity that works to secure a resilient and enduring community for Christians in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and Jordan has announced that Bishop William Kenney has been appointed its Chair of trustees for the next two years.
A retired Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham, Bishop Kenney has long supported the plight of the region’s Christians and is a former Chair of the Holy Land Co-ordination, an annual pilgrimage of bishops from around the world to the lands of Christ’s birth, ministry, death and resurrection. The Co-ordination is organised by the Bishops’ Conference.
“It is with great pleasure that I have accepted the Chair of Trustees position of the Friends of the Holy Land for the next two years,” said Bishop Kenney. “With the ongoing war in Gaza and the general unrest in the Holy Land at present, no one knows what the future will hold. The work of Friends of the Holy Land is going to be even more important as we move into a post-war situation where there will be desperate need in Gaza and the West Bank. Our hope is in the Risen Lord as we attempt to help those who now live in the land where He lived when on Earth.”
“We are very pleased to announce that Bishop William Kenney has agreed to take over the role as our Chairman, with immediate effect,” said CEO Brendan Metcalfe. “Bishop William is well-known and respected for his work internationally, especially across the Middle East.”
Bishop Kenney takes over from Jim Quinn who retired as both a Trustee and Chair of Friends of the Holy Land in April.
Friends of the Holy Land has been operating for over 15 years and is registered as a charity in both the UK and Palestine so it can operate an office in Bethlehem. This allows FHL to provide swift support to vulnerable Christians to meet their direct emergency needs. Its team in the West Bank also works with partner agencies to support vulnerable Christians with medical costs, school fees and projects to improve life and generate an income through the dignity of work and entrepreneurship.
