In my official capacity as the Bishop of Israel for the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), and my wife Pauline Plummer as 1st Lady of Israel, we utterly denounce and condemn, in the strongest terms, the brutal and murderous attacks on Israel by Hamas, the terrorist organization representing Palestinians in Gaza. It’s currently estimated that there are 700 Israelis who were murdered, including several Americans. There are another 100 innocent people who have been taken hostage in Gaza. The additional unthinkable slaughter of 260 Israeli young people who were attending a Musical Festival is beyond understanding. And it wasn’t missiles or rockets that killed these young people, but instead, it was indiscriminate slaughter by guns, RPGs, knives, etc. and these young people had no weapons of defense. It was a murderous slaughter of innocents.

Thanks to those of you who have reached out to us with concern and love wondering if we’re safe and okay. Please keep praying for us and we will address our situation in greater detail later. We have lived in Israel for over three (3) years and our home is in the center of Jerusalem.

Over the ages, the biblical mandate to “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” has always been relevant to every generation. It’s now our generation’s turn. Will you please join us as we harmonize in prayer for Israel and as we pray for the Peace of Jerusalem?

I’m grateful for our Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard’s recent Press Release where he declared on behalf of the entire membership of the Church of God in Christ, our “unwavering commitment to fostering strong ties between our denomination and the State of Israel.” He went on to say, “I am dedicated to furthering our mission of peace and cooperation between COGIC and the State of Israel.”

We stand with Israel and mourn the loss of so many lives during this horrific tragedy and we pray for God’s comfort and direction as this war unfortunately seems to be escalating.

Again, will you please join us in praying for the Peace of Jerusalem?

This first appeared as a Facebook post.