In the 1960’s, Rev Bruce Rigdon from the Presbyterian Church USA and Archbishop Elias Chacour from Palestine, met at a conference in the Middle East. Elias Chacour is as an Arab Christian, an orthodox Catholic priest, and a proud Palestinian citizen of Israel.
In the 1990’s, Bruce Rigdon, then pastor of Grosse Pointe Memorial Presbyterian Church, Michigan, invited his friend Fr. Elias Chacour from Ibillin, a village in Galilee, to visit as an ecumenical scholar in residence. Abuna Chacour encouraged his new Grosse Pointe friends to “come and see” the Living Stones and experience “the Fifth Gospel” of the Holy Lands.
Groups of adults and high school youth both took up his invitation, visiting Abuna Chacour and the Mar Elias Schools he had founded in Ibillin. After many exchanges and visits, the community at Grosse Pointe saw this as an opportunity to invest in peace-building in Israel/Palestine.
In 1995, Grosse Pointe Memorial Church sponsored the creation of a new church group they called Pilgrims of Ibillin. They applied for standing as a 501c3 charity, with Grosse Pointe Memorial Church as a supporting organization. In the early years, the group sponsored pilgrimages and work camps, and raised funds to help Abuna build up the campus in Ibillin.
By 2001 the organization had grown too big to be run entirely by volunteers, so the Board made the decision to hire a half-time executive director. Rev. Don Griggs agreed to become that new executive director “for a half-year or so.” He remained at the helm of Pilgrims of Ibillin for six years.
In 2003-2004, led partly by new board member Bob Connolly, Pilgrims of Ibillin took on its first capital campaign, and with the resulting $450,000, helped build a new elementary school on the Mar Elias campus and new chapel. The chapel became the Church of the Sermon on the Mount, the largest Melkite church in Israel/Palestine. Mariam Bawardi Elementary School was built on the highest point of the campus as a new home for the primary school Abuna had launched in 1997.
Early in 2007 Don Griggs decided to end his “six months” as executive director after 6 years, and at the May 2007 Board meeting Robert Sawyer and Joan Deming were hired as executive director and development director, respectively. They began serving on September 1, 2007. In December of 2007 another significant change took place: Pilgrims of Ibillin became a stand-alone 501c3 public charity.
To strengthen Pilgrims of Ibillin’s outreach, in 2008, the Board of Directors established partner relationships with several additional peace-building programs in Israel/Palestine. During 2008, Board members and staff built a list of suggestions and visited possible partners in the West Bank and Israel. Since 2008, annual grants of $2,000 to $8,000 have been given to Peace-building Partner organizations beyond MEEI.
In 2008 and 2009, with support from the FISH Foundation (Plainsboro, NJ) and generous individuals, Mar Elias High School moved from the original high school building, built in 1982, into a large newer building on campus. Pilgrims of Ibillin grant funds allowed MEEI to build 2 additional classroom floors, add an elevator, upgrade the science and computer labs, and renovate and upgrade all the classrooms.
In February of 2013 the Rev. Dr. Bob Sawyer retired as Pilgrims’ executive director, and Pilgrims of Ibillin’s Board hired Rev. Joan Deming to serve as executive director. The priority going forward was to focus efforts toward securing grant funds that will keep Mar Elias Educational Institutions as one of Israel’’s stellar academic institutions for students from preschool through high school. As partners with Mar Elias leaders, we anticipate a future even brighter than the past. Thousands of Pilgrims of Ibillin supporters from across the United States and around the world join in solidarity with friends in Ibillin to Build Peace on Desktops. On January 1, 2018, the executive directing baton passed from Joan (as she retired) to Pilgrims’ fourth executive director, Rev. Laurie Lyter Bright, a Presbyterian pastor offering her ministry now through Pilgrims of Ibillin.
Our world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 and domestic and international travel was stopped, canceling all pilgrimages planned for the year to Israel and Palestine. Communications to Pilgrims supporters went to online emails and webinars with Peace Partners via Zoom began in summer 2020.
In August 2020, Rev. Laurie Lyter Bright, resigned from her executive position at Pilgrims. Brenda Mehos, Pilgrims board member and Pilgrimage Coordinator, graciously stepped into the Interim Executive Director position while Pilgrims began a search for their new leadership. On May 1, 2021, in a board meeting vote via Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic, Essrea Cherin became Pilgrims’ Executive Director.
Pilgrims of Ibillin’s partnership with the Mar Elias Educational Institutions remains strong and continues to evolve. Thanks to a dynamic board of directors, passionate volunteers, and dedicated staff, Pilgrims of Ibillin now has supporters and constituents in all 50 states. We have big dreams for the future of the Mar Elias schools, our peace partners, and the possibility of a just and lasting peace in Israel and Palestine. We hope you’ll join us for the journey!
Questions about Pilgrims of Ibillin? Contact Us
