Canon David Porter, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Director for Reconciliation, will highlight the strategic ministry of Christians in peace-building in the Middle East at an evening event organised by SAT-7 at Belfast Bible College on Saturday 12 April (7.30 pm).
David Porter has wide experience of peace building and chaired the Northern Ireland Civic Forum working group on peace building and reconciliation. He will be the main speaker at “The Untold Story: The Middle Eastern Church Behind the Headlines”.
Canon Porter explained his enthusiasm for the SAT-7 event: “Changes throughout the Middle East in recent years have made the Church in the west more aware of the challenge facing the Christian community in this region. Their presence and role is a vital part of a stable and peaceful future.
“Our task is to provide understanding and support to the Church, especially through access to media which has played such a pivotal role in the events we have witnessed.”
David Middleton, SAT-7’s Ireland Representative, said, “Through its Christian satellite TV programmes made in the Middle East, SAT-7 seeks to promote the Christian message of love and forgiveness and strengthen the region’s Christians in their service to the whole community. We are delighted that David Porter, with his breadth of experience, can join us to reflect on what we ourselves can learn from the Middle Eastern Church’s response to recent sectarian events.”
Hosted by journalist Will Leitch, the event will also feature a Middle Eastern expert from the region, who will bring an overview of the current political and social situation, and there will be an opportunity to see short examples of SAT-7 programming.