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When Palestinian Christian Fahed Abu-Akel was elected moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in June 2002, he became the first Arab American to head a major U.S. denomination. His one-year term ended last month, but as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, he continues to speak frequently on the need for American Christians to recognize and listen to the Palestinian church.

Abu-Akel was raised in Kuffer-Yassif, a Palestinian village 25 miles northwest of Nazareth. His earliest memory is leaving his village—and his mother—in 1948, when war broke out between Arab nations and the newly born Israel.

Todd Hertz, assistant editor of Christianity Today, talked with Abu-Akel about his childhood, terrorist actions that fuel the Middle East conflict, and President Bush's road map to peace.

What was your childhood like?

The key spiritual nurturing for my life was my parent's love for the Word. They were both Palestinian Arab farmers. Their faith in Jesus Christ was very strong. Before we went to sleep each night my mother would recite [from memory] the Psalms, the Gospels, and other Scripture.

The first thing I remember was the displacement of the Palestinian people. As a 4 year old, I left our home with my father, five sisters, and two brothers. At that age, you are closer to your mother than anyone. So I was searching for her as we left. I finally saw her standing on top of our home's roof waving her hand. We left her there and went to a neighboring village called Yrka. There we were put in a makeshift Palestinian refugee camp.

Four Palestinian villages next to mine were destroyed. In fact, 400 Palestinian villages—Christian and Muslim—were destroyed by the Israeli military when Israel became a state in 1948. More than 900,000 Palestinian Arab Christians and Muslims became refugees out of these villages and towns.

After several months in the camp, we returned home and my mother was still living in the house. When I grew up, I always wanted to ask my mother why she did not come with us. I finally discovered that it was because her faith was strong. She told my father, "You take the children to protect them, I will stay because this is our home, our land, and our church. If they want to kill me, they will have to kill me as a Christian Palestinian Arab woman." She refused to leave.

What else influenced you spiritually early on?

Next to my parents, the second biggest spiritual influence on my life was the ministry of two Scottish Presbyterian missionaries. They rented the second floor in our home. My father wanted [my siblings and me] to study English with them. Our daily routine was to learn English, read the Bible, and pray.

Dr. Doris Wilson's witness and life as a medical missionary changed the lives of a lot of women in our area who did not want to go to a male doctor. She also changed my life. Through her witness, I felt a call to the ministry to express my commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

When I arrived to the United States in 1966 to pursue my theological education, I arrived with one suitcase, one Arabic Bible, and one Arab-English dictionary. Thirty-six years later, I was elected to the highest position in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. I will always say this will only happen in the church of Jesus Christ and, thank God, in the United States of America.

How do you feel American Christians should approach the conflict in the Holy Land?

At this time of history, we need the evangelical Christian to not only love and support Israel, but to love and support the Palestinians. We need to focus on how these people can see their healing, reconciliation, and forgiving one another as the only salvation for both people.

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July (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47