[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8757-8759]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING AMERICAN CHRISTIAN LEADERS FOR STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH 
  CHRISTIANS AND OTHER SMALL RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES IN EGYPT, IRAQ AND 
                                 SYRIA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 20, 2014

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I submitted the full text of the 
Pledge of Solidarity and Call to Action on Behalf of Christians and 
Other Small Religious Communities in Egypt, Iraq and Syria, signed by 
well over 200 U.S. Christian leaders. These individuals, representing 
the American church, have recognized the gravity of the situation 
facing religious minorities in these countries, and by signing the 
pledge have agreed to speak out on behalf of these ancient faith 
communities. Below is the full list of signatories to the Pledge:

       Fr. Tateos R. Abdalian; Rt. Rev. Keith L Ackerman, Bishop 
     Vicar of the Diocese of Quincy, Anglican Church in North 
     America; Susan Agel, Resurrection Free Methodist Church; 
     Charles P. Ajalat; Jhonny Alicea-Baez, Director of Global 
     Missions, Reformed Church in America; Rt. Rev. Kevin Bond 
     Allen, Bishop, Diocese of Cascadia, Anglican Church in North 
     America; Rt. Rev. Roger C. Ames, Diocese of the Great Lakes, 
     Anglican Church in North America; Melodee Andersen, Wooddale 
     Church; Rt. Rev. David Craig Anderson, Sr., American Anglican 
     Council; Dr. Leith Anderson, National Association of 
     Evangelicals; Fr. Bishoy Andrawes, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox 
     Church, Washington, DC; Auday P. Arabo, Associated Food and 
     Petroleum Dealers; Don Argue, EdD, Ambassador at Large, 
     Convoy Of Hope; Maged Atiya, Physicist, Businessman; Rt. Rev. 
     Will G. Atwood, III, Bishop, International Diocese, Anglican 
     Church in North America; Toufic Baaklini, In Defense of 
     Christians; Wade Baho, Syriacs Assembly Movement; Dr. Mark L. 
     Bailey, Dallas Theological Seminary; Dr. Ryan Baker, Redeemer 
     Presbyterian Church (USA), Louisville, KY.
       Bashir Bakoz, Syriacs Assembly Movement; Rt. Rev. Thad 
     Barnum, Bishop, PEARUSA, Anglican Church in North America; 
     Gary Bauer, American Values; Rt. Rev. Dr. Foley Beach, 
     Bishop, Diocese of the South, Anglican Church in North 
     America; Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, Professor of Theology, 
     Catholic University of America; Mindy Belz, Editor, World 
     Magazine; Rt. Rev. David Bena, Assisting Bishop, Diocese of 
     CANA East Anglican Church in North America; William Bennett; 
     Prof Thomas E. Bird, CUNY; Joel Boot, Christian Reformed 
     Church in North America; Gerard V. Bradley, Professor of Law, 
     University of Notre Dame; Rt. Rev. Dr. Steven Breedlove, 
     Presiding Bishop, PEARUSA, Anglican Church in North America; 
     Douglas Britton, Missionary, Global Outreach Mission; Kurt 
     Brown, Pastor, Living Springs Community Church; Most Rev. Tod 
     Brown, Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of 
     Orange; Rt. Rev. David C. Bryan, Bishop, PEARUSA, Anglican 
     Church in North America; Dwight Burchett, Pastor, Centerpoint 
     Community Church; Paolo Carozza, University of Notre Dame; 
     Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr., Resident Bishop, Florida 
     Conference, United Methodist Church; Joseph Cella, Founder, 
     National Catholic Prayer Breakfast; Most Rev. Charles J. 
     Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of the Roman Catholic 
     Archdiocese of Philadelphia; Bishop Abner Chauke, Free 
     Methodist Church; Most Rev. David R. Choby, Catholic Diocese 
     of Nashville; Archbishop Oshagan Cholayan, Armenian Apostolic 
     Church of America; Evan Alevizatos Chriss, Baltimore, MD; 
     John E. Chowning, Vice President for Church & External 
     Relations, Campbellsville University.
       Betty Clark, Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, MN; Luis 
     Cortes, Esperanza; Janice Shaw Crouse, The Beverly LaHaye 
     Institute; Jim Daly, Focus on the Family; Dr. Ramsay F. Dass, 
     American Middle East Christians Congress; Wendy J. Deichmann, 
     United Theological Seminary; Greg Delamarter, Free Methodist 
     Church; Most Rev. Gerald N. Dino, Bishop of the Holy 
     Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix; 
     Rev. Dr. Gilbert Doan; Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs, Bishop, Diocese 
     of CANA East, Anglican Church in North America; Dr. James 
     Dobson, Family Talk; Bill Donohue, Catholic League for 
     Religious and Civil Rights; Andrew Doran, In Defense of 
     Christians; Hon. Michael S. Dukakis, former Governor of 
     Massachusetts; W. Cole Durham, Jr., International Center for 
     Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University; Most Rev. 
     Robert Duncan, Archbishop, Anglican Church in North America; 
     Dr. John Eibner, Christian Solidarity International (CSI-
     USA); Prof. John P. Entelis, Chair, Department of Political 
     Science, Fordham University; Gregory R. Erlandson, Our Sunday 
     Visitor Publishing; Jonathan Falwell, Senior Pastor, Thomas 
     Road Baptist Church; Fr. Athanasius K. Farag; John Farina, 
     Associate Professor of Religious Studies, George Mason 
     University.
       Thomas Farr, Religious Freedom Project, Georgetown 
     University; Armando Fernandez, Pastor, The Rock Church; 
     Harold Fickett, Aleteia America; David F. Forte, Professor of 
     Law, Cleveland State University; A.J. French, Sacred 
     Creations; Rt. Rev. Alphonza Gadsden, Sr., Bishop, Diocese of 
     the Southeast, Reformed Episcopal Church, Anglican Church in 
     North America; Edward McGlynn Gaffney, Prof. of International 
     Law and Genocide Studies, Valparaiso, IN; Mr. Joseph Gamero; 
     Gerry Garbis; Richard W. Garnett, Program on Church, State & 
     Society, Notre Dame Law School; Most Rev. John R. Gaydos, 
     Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City; Mimi 
     Geerges, Focal Point Radio; Robert P. George, McCormick 
     Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University; Dr. Timothy 
     George, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; Amb. 
     Joseph Ghougassian; Scott Gibbons, Pastor, Big Rapids Free 
     Methodist Church; Lela Gilbert, writer; Rt. Rev. R. Charles 
     Gillin, Suffragan Bishop, Diocese of the Northeast & Mid-
     Atlantic and Eastern Canada, Reformed Episcopal Church 
     Anglican Church in North America; Amb. Mary Ann Glendon; Rt. 
     Rev. Terrell Glenn, Bishop of the Anglican Church in North 
     America; Katharine Cornell Gorka, Council on Global Security; 
     Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse and Billy Graham 
     Evangelistic Association; David E. Greer, American Foundation 
     for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East; Rev. Marcel 
     Guarnizo, Educational Initiative for Central and Eastern 
     Europe; Rt. Rev. John A. M. Guernsey, Diocese of the Mid-
     Atlantic, Anglican Church in North America; Os Guinness, 
     Author; Mary Habeck, Visiting Scholar, American Enterprise 
     Institute; Lee Habeeb, Vice President of Content, Salem Radio 
     Network; John Hajjar, Middle East

[[Page 8758]]

     Christian Committee MECHRIC USA; Joseph Hakim, International 
     Christian Union; Ambassador Tony Hall; William Hamel, 
     Evangelical Free Church of America; George Hankhe, Suryoyo 
     American Association; Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Asian Access; 
     Jeff Hanna, Pastor, Living Hope Free Methodist Church; Dr. 
     Samir Hanna; Tom Harb, American Maronite Union; Rev. Jose 
     Hernandez, Free Methodist Church--USA; Allen D. Hertzke, 
     David Ross Boyd Professor of Political Science at the 
     University of Oklahoma.
       Rt. Rev. David L. Hicks, Bishop of the Diocese of the 
     Northeast & Mid-Atlantic and Eastern Canada, Reformed 
     Episcopal Church Anglican Church in North America; Alec Hill, 
     Intervarsity Christian Fellowship; Waiel Afram Hindo, 
     Professor; Dennis P. Hollinger, Gordon Conwell Theological 
     Seminary; Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland--
     A Church Distributed; Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, 
     Willow Creek Community Church; Lynne Hybels, Advocate for 
     Global Engagement, Willow Creek Community Church; Rt. Rev. 
     Jack L. Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth, Anglican Church in North 
     America; Rt. Rev. William H. Ilgenfritz, Bishop of the 
     Missionary Diocese of All Saints Anglican Church in North 
     America; Bassam Ishak; Wally Jadan, MEA TV and Radio; Ned 
     Jalou, United Christians Organization; Dr. Jerry A. Johnson, 
     National Religious Broadcasters; Dr. Douglas M. Johnston, 
     International Center for Religion & Diplomacy; Rt. Rev. Derek 
     Jones, Bishop of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, Anglican 
     Church in North America; Kristine Kalanges, Associate 
     Professor of Law, University of Notre Dame; Asaad Kalasho, 
     Iraqi American Christian Language Association; George 
     Karcazes, Executive Board Member, Orthodox Christian Laity; 
     Joseph T. Kassab, Iraqi Christians Advocacy and Empowerment 
     Institute; Ismat Karmo, Nineveh Council of America; Bishop 
     David W. Kendall, Free Methodist Church--USA; Magdi Khalil, 
     Coptic Solidarity International; Dr. Audisho Khoshaba, US 
     Rep. of the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council; Sami 
     Khoury, World Maronite Union; Rev. Dr. Walter Kim, Park 
     Street Church; Rev. Mrs. Martha Kirkpatrick, Free Methodist 
     Church; Melanie Kirkpatrick, author; Rev. Mr. Virgil (Jim) 
     Eugene Kirkpatrick, Free Methodist Church.
       Msgr. John E. Kozar, Catholic Near East Welfare 
     Association; Sami Kurter, Suryoyo American Association; 
     Daniel Kurtz, Vice-President, The Free Methodist Foundation; 
     Dr. Richard Land, Southern Evangelical Seminary; Cheryl 
     Laske, Green Oak Free Methodist Church; Rt. Rev. Dr. Quigg 
     Lawrence, Bishop, PEARUSA, Anglican Church in North America; 
     Rt. Rev. Neil G. Lebhar, Bishop of the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, 
     Anglican Church in North America; Most Rev. Peter Libasci, 
     Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester; Rt. Rev. 
     Richard Lipka, Suffragan Bishop of the Missionary Diocese of 
     All Saints Anglican Church in North America; Jim Liske, 
     Fellowship Ministries; Rt. Rev. Clark W. P. Lowenfield, 
     Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast 
     Anglican Church in North America; Michael Lunceford; Michael 
     Lundberg, Valley Baptist Church; Jo Anne Lyon, General 
     Superintendent, Wesleyan Church; Rt. Rev. Frank Lyons, 
     Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Pittsburgh, Anglican Church in 
     North America; Most Rev. Denis Madden, Auxiliary Bishop of 
     the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore; Beverly Maier, 
     Pastor, Free Methodist Church; Martin Manna, Chaldean 
     American Chamber of Commerce; Most Rev. Gregory John Mansour, 
     Bishop of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn; Dr. Noon i 
     Mansour, United Chaldean Democratic Forum; Rt. Rev. Peter 
     Manto, Suffragan Bishop, Diocese of the Central States, 
     Reformed Episcopal Church Anglican Church in North America; 
     His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Armenian 
     Apostolic Church of the Western United States; John Marks; 
     Michael J. Marks; Nikki Marks; George J. Marlin, Aid to the 
     Church in Need-USA; Paul Marshall, Senior Fellow, Hudson 
     Institute, Center for Religious Freedom; Peter Marudas; 
     George Matsoukas, Executive Director, Orthodox Christian 
     Laity; Kevin McBride, Pastor, Raymond Baptist Church; Rt. 
     Rev. Dorsey W. M. McConnell, D.D., Bishop, Episcopal Diocese 
     of Pittsburgh; Prof. Michael W. McConnell, Stanford 
     University.
       Bill Mefford, Director of Civil and Human Rights, United 
     Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society; 
     Margaret B. Melady, Ph.D.; Rt. Rev. Dr. Eric Vawter Menees, 
     Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, Anglican Church in 
     North America; His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, 
     Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; Fr. Christopher 
     Metropoulos, Orthodox Christian Network; Rt. Rev. John E. 
     Miller, III, Bishop of the Anglican Church in North America; 
     Myron M. Miller, Retired Professor, Michigan State 
     University; David Moberg, Professor of Sociology Emeritus, 
     Marquette University; Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., Southern 
     Baptist Theological Seminary; Johnnie Moore, Senior Vice 
     President, Liberty University; Dr. Russell D. Moore, Southern 
     Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; W. Allen 
     Morris, The Allen Morris Company; Anne Morse, The Chuck 
     Colson Center for Christian Worldview; Rt. Rev. Dan Morse, 
     Bishop, Diocese of the Central States, Reformed Episcopal 
     Church Anglican Church in North America; Rt. Rev. Winfield 
     Mott, Bishop of the Diocese of the West, Anglican Church in 
     North America; Most Rev. Mikael Mouradian, Bishop of the 
     Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg for Armenian Catholics in the 
     USA and Canada; Mark L. Movsesian, Center for Law and 
     Religion, St. John's University School of Law; Jimmy Mulla, 
     Voices for Sudan Inc.; Rt. Rev. William L. Murdoch, Bishop of 
     the Anglican Diocese in New England, Anglican Church in North 
     America; Brian C. Murphy, Member of the Board of Trustees, 
     American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the 
     Middle East; Most Rev. William F. Murphy, Bishop of the Roman 
     Catholic Diocese of Rockville Center; William J. Murray, 
     Religious Freedom Coalition; Penny Young Nance, Concerned 
     Women for America; George P. Nassos, Sts Peter & Paul Greek 
     Orthodox Church, Glenview, IL; Andrew Natsios, Executive 
     Professor, Texas A&M University.
       Jerry Newcombe, Truth in Action Ministries; George 
     Nicholaou, Downers Grove, IL; Gerry Nicholaou, Downers Grove, 
     IL; Tamer Nicola, businessperson; Dave Nona, Chaldean 
     Federation of America; Michael Novak, US Ambassador to the 
     Human Rights Commission of the UN 1981-83 and the Helsinki 
     Commission Bern Round 1985; Archdeacon David Oancea, 
     Chancellor, Romanian Diocese, Orthodox Church in America; 
     Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of the Roman Catholic 
     Diocese of Phoenix; Rt. Rev. Dr. Felix Orji, Bishop of the 
     Missionary Diocese of the West, Anglican Church in North 
     America.Robert Ozgun, Head of Foreign Affairs, Suryoyo 
     American Association; Most Rev. Richard E. Pates, Bishop of 
     the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines; Doug Perkins, 
     Teaching Elder, Heritage Presbytery; Tony Perkins, Family 
     Research Council; Dr. Walid Phares, Professor; Daniel 
     Philpott, Center for Civil and Human Rights, University of 
     Notre Dame; Pepper Pike, Vice President, Orthodox Christian 
     Laity; Lee Poteracki, Deer Park, IL; Kirsten Powers, 
     Columnist; Dr. Elizabeth H. Prodromou, Visiting Assoc. Prof., 
     Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; Bob 
     Poydasheff, Col. (Ret.) USA,, Former Mayor of Columbus, GA; 
     Samira Qasguargis, Iraqi Human Rights Society; Grover Joseph 
     Rees, U.S. Amb. (Retired); Steve Rembert, Pastor, 
     Presbyterian Church; Nermien Riad, Coptic Orphans; Most Rev. 
     Leonard W. Riches, Presiding Bishop, Reformed Episcopal 
     Church Anglican Church in North America; Rev. Protobresbyter 
     Martin Ritsi, Orthodox Christian Mission Center; Senior 
     Pastor Ed Rob, The Woodlands United Methodist Church of 
     Texas; Rev. Ronald G. Roberson, Secretariat for Ecumenical 
     and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of 
     Catholic Bishops; Larry Roberts, Chief Operating Officer, 
     Free Methodist Church--USA; Bishop David Roller, Free 
     Methodist Church; Rt. Rev. Ken Ross, Bishop, PEARUSA, 
     Anglican Church in North America.
       Ronald D. Rotunda, Doy & Dee Henley Chair and Distinguished 
     Professor of Jurisprudence, Chapman University; Nabil 
     Roumayah, Iraqi Democratic Union of America; Emanuel L. 
     Rouvelas, Washington, DC; Marilyn Rouvelas, Arlington, VA; 
     Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California & Secretary of the Holy 
     Synod, Assyrian Church of the East; Most Rev. Mitchell 
     Rozanski, Seton Vicar, Vicar for Hispanic Ministries of the 
     Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore; Rt. Rev. Stewart E. 
     Ruch II, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Upper Midwest 
     Anglican Church in North America; Dr. Zina Salem, Chaldean 
     and Middle Eastern Social Services; Gabriel Salguero, 
     National Latino Evangelical Coalition; Most Rev. Nicholas J. 
     Samra, Eparchial Bishop of Newton, Melkite Catholic Church in 
     the USA; William Saunders, Human Rights Lawyer, Washington, 
     DC; Mark Schlechty, Pastor, Free Methodist; Most Rev. 
     Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The 
     Episcopal Church; Rt. Rev. Sam Seamans, Assisting Bishop, 
     Diocese of Mid-America, Reformed Episcopal Church Anglican 
     Church in North America; Stacy Sennott; Timothy Samuel Shah, 
     Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, 
     Georgetown University; Jane Shallal, Chaldean American Ladies 
     of Charity; Linda Shea, West Orange, New Jersey.
       Nina Shea, Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom; 
     Peter J. Shea, New York, New York; Dr. Ronald J Sider, 
     Evangelicals for Social Action; William Simon, Jr., Co-
     Chairman, William E. Simon and Sons; Most Rev. William 
     Skylstad, Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of 
     Spokane; David M. Stanley, United Methodist Action Steering 
     Committee/Director and Treasurer, Institute on Religion and 
     Democracy; Jean Leu Stanley, United Methodist Action Steering 
     Committee; Paul R. Stanley, Political Opinion Editor, The 
     Christian Post; Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton, Bishop of Dallas; 
     Peter Steinfels, University Professor Emeritus, Fordham 
     University; Rev. Columba Stewart, Hill Museum & Manuscript 
     Library, Collegeville, Minnesota; Dave Stone, Senior Pastor, 
     Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky; Helen Rhea 
     Stumbo, Institute on Religion and Democracy; Rt. Rev. Ray R. 
     Sutton, Bishop Coadjutor, Diocese of Mid-America, Reformed 
     Episcopal Church Anglican Church in North America; Msgr.

[[Page 8759]]

     Stuart W. Swetland, Archbishop Flynn Professor of Christian 
     Ethics, Mount St. Mary's University; Very Rev. Archimandrite 
     Dr. Nathanael Symeonides; Dr. L. Roy Taylor, Stated Clerk of 
     the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church in America; Very 
     Rev. Dr. Justyn Terry, Trinity School for Ministry; Alan B. 
     Terwilleger, Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview; 
     Helen Theodoropoulos, Skokie, IL; Bishop Matthew Thomas, Free 
     Methodist Church--USA; Rev. Clancy Thompson, Free Methodist 
     Church of NA.
       Rt. Rev. William A. Thompson, Bishop of the Diocese of 
     Western Anglicans, Anglican Church in North America; Peter 
     Tremblay, Pastor, Free Methodist Church; Mark Tooley, 
     Institute on Religion and Democracy; Fr. Joseph Varghese, 
     Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church; Rt. Rev. 
     William C. Wantland, Assisting Bishop of Fort Worth, Anglican 
     Church in North America; Mark L. Wasef, Esq.; Jim Wallis, 
     Sojourners; John P. Walters, Hudson Institute; Todd Watkins, 
     Pastor, Liveoak Bible Church; Bishop Mark Webb, Upper New 
     York Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church; George 
     Weigel, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, DC; 
     Deacon Greg Wilson, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Austin, 
     Texas; Rt. Rev. Steve Wood, Bishop, Diocese of the Carolinas, 
     Anglican Church in North America; His Eminence, Cardinal 
     Donald Wuerl; The Rev Dr John W Yates II; Robert R. Yohanan; 
     Nabby Yono, Arab American and Chaldean Council; Sam Yono, 
     Chaldean National Party; Pastor Ed Young, Second Baptist 
     Church, Houston; Most Rev. Elias Abdallah Zaidan, Bishop of 
     the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon; Linda Zimmerman, 
     Calvary Lutheran Golden Valley; Rt. Rev. J. Mark Zimmerman, 
     Bishop, Diocese of the Southwest Anglican Church in North 
     America; Dr. James J. Zogby, Arab American Institute.

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