JERUSALEM — Ogiame Atuwatse III, the 21st Olu of Nigeria’s Warri Kingdom, made his first visit to Israel as part of an international Christian delegation focused on strengthening relationships between Christians and Jewish communities.
The visit was organized by Bishop Robert Stearns and Eagles’ Wings, a Christian organization that works to strengthen Jewish-Christian relations, support Israel and oppose antisemitism. More than 550 Christian leaders representing 51 nations participated in the ten-day delegation.
The group included pastors, bishops and other Christian leaders from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America. The delegation arrived during Sukkot and participated in worship gatherings, meetings and visits intended to give the Christian leaders firsthand perspectives on Israel and its people.
One of the major gatherings was Awake Jerusalem, an international Christian worship event held October 3 at Jerusalem’s Tower of David. Christian artists and leaders from around the world participated in the event.
During his visit, King Atuwatse spoke about the importance of relationships between Israel and Africa. He said his experience reinforced his belief that people share more in common than what divides them. He also pointed to opportunities for cooperation between Israel and African nations in areas including education, technology, infrastructure and security.
For Whole Bible believers, the visit is especially noteworthy because hundreds of Christian leaders from nations around the world traveled to Jerusalem during Sukkot, experiencing the land connected with Scripture and building relationships with people in Israel.
Reference:
jpost/israel-news/article-910699
