Amman — King Abdullah II on Wednesday received a delegation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church, headed by Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad, the newly elected head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, according to a Royal Court statement.

The meeting, held at Al Husseiniya Palace and attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, focused on developments affecting Christian communities in Jerusalem and the wider region. welcoming

During the meeting, the King reaffirmed Jordan’s continued support for the Christian presence in Jerusalem, grounded in the Hashemite Custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in the city. He stressed that Israeli violations of Christians’ right to worship and restrictions on access to holy sites are unacceptable.

The King also commended the role of Lutheran churches in promoting justice, stability, and peace, highlighting their efforts to defend oppressed communities through their broad international presence and extensive global networks.

For his part, Bishop Haddad affirmed the Evangelical Lutheran Church’s continued support for the Hashemite Custodianship, noting that the relationship dates back to the official recognition of the church by the late King Hussein in 1959. He added that this commitment was renewed in 2013 under the leadership of Bishop Dr. Munib Younan.

Following the meeting, members of the delegation said they were impressed by the King’s remarks and the informal, straightforward nature of the discussions. The meeting extended beyond its scheduled time, with part of the conversation dedicated to preparations for events planned in 2030 at Jordan’s Baptism Site to mark the third millennium of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River at Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

The delegation praised King Abdullah’s role in promoting interfaith dialogue and safeguarding the Christian presence in Palestine, Jordan, and across the region.

Delegation members also highlighted efforts by Evangelical Lutheran churches worldwide to counter Christian Zionism and attempts to politicize religion. They further expressed condemnation of the war on Gaza and ongoing attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Also in attendance were Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the King’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, and Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh.

The Lutheran delegation included Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad; Bishop Emeritus Dr. Sani Ibrahim Azar; Bishop Emeritus Dr. Munib Younan; Bishop Henrik Stubkjær, President of the Lutheran World Federation; Presiding Bishop Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt of Northern Germany; Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; National Bishop Dr. Larry Kochendorfer of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; Bishop Jari Jolkkonen of Finland’s Diocese of Kuopio; and Bishop Sunniva Glyver of the Diocese of Oslo, Church of Norway.