Excitement was certainly high on Sunday evening, September 23 2007 as members of the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel flocked from such places as Cana, Rama, Haifa, Acco, Eilabenn, Toraan, Ramle and other regions to Nazareth Evangelical Baptist Church to witness the arrival of David Coffey, the current leader of the Baptist World Alliance. Space was limited, as the beautiful sanctuary was full to capacity with the faithful who assembled from across Galilee for a time of worship and praise before Rev. Coffey’s scheduled appearance. Worship leaders led the congregation in several moving songs that had everyone singing full voiced and lifting hands in praise.

Special For "Come and See", Sep 24, 2007

Appearances to the contrary, however, the cross project so far consists mainly of a glitzy Web site, considerable hype and a taint of corruption. To date no architect has been hired, no other investors have been recruited and no ground has been broken in the hollow below Nazareth's YMCA.

Another shadow hanging over the project is the hint of questionable business practices, despite a phalanx of reputable attorneys and accounting firms that Boulos says are involved in ensuring the endeavor's integrity.

The Boulos family's many business endeavors include a brief foray into a casino ship and Chapter 11 filings. Then there is Riah. The former Anglican bishop of Jerusalem is under investigation by a diocesan committee on charges of corruption and nepotism

By CRAIG NELSON, Cox News Service, Monday, September 03, 2007

This summer, Pastor Alex Awad from East Jerusalem’s Baptist Church lost a lamb from his flock. Linda Finamore, a volunteering teacher at the ‘Jerusalem School’ in Bethlehem for the past eight years, was denied access to re-enter Israel after her summer vacation in the US. But why does Israel turn its back on good-doers?

By Maria Hjort, Special For "Come and See", Oct 2, 2007

On Monday, 27th of August, “Fondazione Milan” introduced the project in favor of The Holy Family Hospital in Nazareth, in a ceremony held in Nazareth and attended by the former Brazilian national team player Leonardo. The hospital, founded in 1882 by the Fatebenefratelli monks, serves as a housing facility for people diseased or in need.

AC Milan Web site, Aug 27, 2007

In this book, you will find that Arabs are described as donkeys. This description is embedded in an amazing dialogue in the middle of the nineteenth century between a Greek Orthodox Bishop and his Russian conversant. The discussion is so relevant for today’s tensions between the Greeks and the Arabs. Also, Kildani fails to be objective in evaluating the Catholic Church (Where the author served as Bishop), and describes Evangelicals as usurpers.

Hanna Said Kildani. Al Massihitu Al Mu’asra fi Al Urdn wa Falastine (Modern Christianity in Jordan and Palestine). Amman: Kildani, 1993 (466 pages)

Rev. Yohanna Katanacho, PHD, Special for Come and See, Sep 4, 2007

Volunteers assembling a campaign to try to prevent the scheduled deportation of an Egyptian Christian couple say the need is urgent, because the couple sought religious asylum in the United States and that automatically makes them enemies of the state in Egypt.

The campaign is on behalf of Onsy Zachary and his wife Fadia, who have been living in the United States since 1998. Their supporters say they could be deported as early as the middle of September.

WorldNetDaily, Aug 30, 2007

Ministry of Tourism officials met with Rev. Nizar Shaheen and the 85 pastors and laymen joining him on a Church Leaders' Spiritual Tour from Canada.

Nizar Shaheen is founder and host of Light For All Nations. He was born in Nazareth and grew up in the nearby town of Cana of Galilee. Today he resides in Canada and works closely with many churches of different denominations in Israel and Canada.

Israel Ministry of Tourism Website, Aug 2007

The few reports emerging from Gaza regarding the area's tiny Christian minority indicate that Palestinian followers of Jesus are under increasing pressure to either become Muslims, submit to Islamic law or leave the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, an Islamic group that won last year's Palestinian parliamentary elections, completed a military takeover of the Gaza Strip in June, handily defeating its rivals in Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.

By Ryan Jones, CNSNews.com, August 16, 2007

An American evangelical pastor who has been living in Israel with his family for nearly two decades has been ordered to leave the country with his wife within two weeks after their request for permanent residency was turned down, officials said Thursday.

Ron Cantrell, 59 ran a small Jerusalem-based ministry 'Shalom Shalom Jerusalem' for the past four years, while Cantrell previously worked for Bridges for Peace, an Ultra Pro-Israel evangelical organization, for 14 years. Two of the couple's children have married Israelis and have Israeli ID cards.

Etgar Lefkovits, THE JERUSALEM POST, Aug. 16, 2007