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The departing accompaniers lit candles for the 16 members of the new group.
Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace, offered a special address.
“It is a deep joy and honour to share in this sacred moment — here, in the heart of Jerusalem, where faith, hope, and history converge,” he said. “This is my first time in Jerusalem, and it has already been a profoundly transforming experience.”
The transition of the former accompaniers to the new ones is a sacred moment, Mtata observed.
“This handover is not merely administrative,” he said. “It is spiritual.”
Mtata noted that ecumenical accompaniers have walked the dusty roads, stood at checkpoints, shared in the tears of communities under pressure, and witnessed to peace where hope is fragile. “Your presence has been a sign that the world has not turned away,” he said. “You have borne witness to the humanity and dignity that no wall can suppress.”
Mtata reflected that the new accompaniers inherit not only the experience but also the spirit of those who came before you. “The task remains the same: to see, to listen, to stand, to accompany,” he said.
“But as you take up this mission, may you also receive a double portion of grace — grace to discern God’s presence in the small moments, grace to endure when the road feels heavy, grace to remain hopeful even when peace seems distant.”
Iskandar Majlaton, programme coordinator for the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme Palestine and Israel, expressed gratitude for the shared commitment to peace and justice. “Thank you for joining us at this significant handover ceremony, where we honor the service of one group and welcome the arrival of the next,” he said. “Your presence strengthens our collective mission and reaffirms the power of accompaniment.”
Majlaton noted that the departing accompaniers return as ambassadors for peace, carrying with them the stories and struggles of the people they have accompanied. “Your advocacy will be a powerful force for change, and we pray that you carry the light of this experience with you, inspiring others to join the call for a just peace in Palestine and Israel,” he said.
Learn more about the WCC’s Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI)
