"Is Christianity dying in the land of its birth?" This was the question posed by Jim Jennings at his seminar, "The Vanishing Church in the Middle East," at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's annual meeting June 25.

The answer to the question is yes, said Jennings, but he and others who attended the seminar shared ideas on how to prevent the further decrease in the number of Christians in the Holy Land.

By Sandi Villarreal, Associated Baptist Press, June 25, 2004

A group of 50 Christian leaders sent a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush asking him to help solve a "crisis" that left some institutions without sufficient staff.

Some groups said they felt Israel was singling out Christians - particularly Arabs - for increasingly harsh treatment. Others thought they were targeted for appearing too sympathetic to the Palestinians.

By Reuters, May 12, 2004

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other Christian leaders have told President Bush they are increasingly concerned about a security wall the Israeli government is building around the Holy Land.

The leaders say the barrier, which Israel is building to protect itself from terrorists, is dividing communities, complicating the peace process, unfairly taking land from churches and preventing Christian groups from functioning properly.

By Amy Fagan, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, April 19, 2004

The following is a speach given by Lord Carey, Former leader of the Anglican Church, at the Gregorian University, Rome, on Thursday, March 25 in which he criticised Islamic culture and regimes.

"Come and See" brings this speach in full.

Times Online, March 26, 2004

Most Arabs descend from Egypt, Lebanon and Syria and two-thirds reside in 10 states. One third of Arab-Americans live in California, New York, and Michigan while 94 percent live in metropolitan areas. Lebanese constitute the greater part of Arab Americans residing in most states.

By WORLD TRIBUNE.COM and MichNews.com, Dec 9, 2003

Ninety-five retired Southern Baptist missionaries who served in the Middle East and North Africa recently signed a resolution calling for Christian leaders in America to refrain from making inflammatory statements about the faith of the people in the mostly Muslim area

By Hannah Lodwick, Associated Baptist Press, July 25, 2003

According to Israel's Haaretz, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas quoted Bush saying that the next step is to solve the problem in the Middle East

Special for Come and See, July 4, 2003

Iraqi Christians ask that Christians around the world pray that missionaries to Iraq be sensitive to the local situation and work with the local believers wherever possible

ASSIST News Service, June 5, 2003

In his final official address to the church, the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel used distinctly spiritual language in recounting his eventful year as moderator of the 214th General Assembly.

Worldwide Faith News, May 25, 2003

Ray and Rose Mary Register served for thirty years in Israel, mainly in Nazareth. Like the biblical wedding feast at Cana, "God saved the best wine for last for us".

To the new generation of missionaries, Register said: "Stay long enough to let Him do it."

By Manda Roten, Baptist Press, May 8, 2003