An American pastor has raised more than $49,000 for Christians living in the Gaza Strip as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.
said Pastor William Devlin, a missionary at Infinity Bible Church in the South Bronx. christian post One of the conditions for the money to reach Gaza is that it must first go to the West Bank. But at the same time, the current conflict makes it difficult to transfer funds.
“As soon as the Western Union banks open, we're going to take that money over there and alleviate some of the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Jesus,” Devlin said.
“I am in frequent contact with people from the Catholic and Orthodox Churches,” he continued. “Electricity is often expensive, which determines whether the network works and whether you can charge your phone. In many cases, you can't charge your phone, you can't connect to the internet, and you can't use WhatsApp. .”
Devlin, who first carried out missionary work in Gaza in 2010, runs the charity REDEEM!. And “Widows & Orphans.” As of late December, Widows & Orphans had raised more than $49,000 for Christians in Gaza, leveraging funds from donors across the United States and 52 churches of various denominations.
“May God protect our brothers and sisters in Jesus in Gaza,” Devlin said. “That is my hope and prayer.”
The pastor pointed out that there are only about 1,000 Christians in Gaza, a country of 2.2 million people. Meanwhile, many displaced Gazan Christians have taken refuge in the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family and the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrios. Meanwhile, a building on the grounds of a Greek Orthodox church that had evacuated about 500 Palestinian Christians and Muslims was damaged in an Israeli airstrike in October last year.
Devlin, who served in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart award, has been praised for his continued support of marginalized Christians around the world. Last December, the pastor received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from the White House Council on Presidential Service and Civic Engagement.
As part of his work, Devlin visited 18 countries, including Egypt, Gaza, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Jordan. We also have a local team leader on site who speaks the local language and can alert Devlin to anything we need.
“I know these people and I know their families,” Devlin said. “And they will provide me with a family that they have already vetted and assure me that the money will help them buy food and buy medicine.”
He also encouraged faith leaders to travel to Gaza once it is safe again.
“Why aren't more Christian leaders going to Gaza to alleviate the suffering of our brothers and sisters?” he asked. “Why don't we go in and bless them?”
“They need practical help and they need prayer,” Devlin continued. “They need to be blessed by your presence just as Jesus has been for us.”
Photo courtesy: @Getty Images/Ahmad Hasabalah / stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to Christian Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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