Responding to calls for church agencies to be more aware and engaged in this troubled region, Everence participated with other church leaders in a learning tour of Israel/Palestine from Feb. 24 to March 4. It offered an opportunity to experience of the Holy Lands and hear, first-hand, the stories of people who live in the midst of the entrenched conflict there.
Mennonite Church USA organized the learning tour to give church leaders a chance to better understand the experience of Christians and others often caught in daily tension and challenges.
Those representing Everence were Duane Oswald, Fresno, Calif. (Board Chair); Larry Nikkel, Wichita, Kan. (Board Member); and Chad Horning, Goshen, Ind. (Chief Investment Officer). Everence is a sponsor of Mennonite Church USA’s Come and See initiative which seeks to encourage visits by 100 Mennonite leaders to Israel/Palestine over five years in the hope of promoting greater understanding and more effective efforts to support peace in the region.
The stewardship investing activities of Everence relate to the situation in Israel/Palestine, as some political activists call for divestment of companies involved in the occupation of the Palestinian West Bank. While Everence has a limited number of investments involved in the region, it has taken a number of steps to fully understand the impact of those investments and to ensure that its human rights and military screens are being applied appropriately. Everence continues to monitor the investment questions, challenges and opportunities that could improve the lives of all people who call the Holy Land home.
To read about the experience and stories about people met on the tour, read Chad Horning’s personal reflections.
To learn more about the tour and the group’s experience, read “Come and see”: Mennonite leaders visit Israel/Palestine.