Dr. Yousef AlKhouri
Dr. Yousef AlKhouri is a Christian Arab Palestinian theologian and activist.
He is an assistant professor in Biblical Studies at Bethlehem Bible College (BethBC), a member of the steering committee of Christ at the Checkpoint, and board member of Kairos Palestine. He obtained his B.A. in Biblical Studies from BethBC, M.Div. from Alliance Theological Seminary, NY, and his Ph.D. from the Vrije University of Amsterdam. He has published several essays and articles in Arabic and English on Palestinian Theology and Christianity. Dr. AlKhouri was born in Gaza to a Christian family that has a long heritage of serving in the priesthood of the Greek Orthodox Church. He is married to Merna and together they are devoted parents of a dog and faithfully dedicated to endless belly rubs. Besides teaching at BethBC and lecturing to international groups, Dr. AlKhouri enjoys reading, writing, and traveling.
Daniel Bannoura
Daniel Bannoura is a PhD candidate in qur’anic studies at the University of Notre Dame. His academic interests include the study of the history and redaction of the Qur’an, Syriac in Late Antiquity, Christian-Muslim relations, and Palestinian theology. He is also a co-host of “Across the Divide” podcast, a theology podcast about Palestine-Israel, and is on the organizing committee of “Christ at the Checkpoint”.
Rev. Dr. Jack Sara
Rev. Dr. Jack Sara is the President of Bethlehem Bible College. He is an ordained minister with Evangelical Alliance Church in the Holy Land where he still maintains an overseeing role with the leadership of the churches. He currently serves at the board of several local and international ministries and organizations. Today, Rev. Jack travels the globe, speaking in conferences and teaching about Missions and Cross-Cultural work in the Middle East. He is happiest when he can bring his family with him on these journeys.
Jack is married to Madleine Sahwani Sara, who has served alongside him in ministry for their entire married life. They are the proud parents of Nathan, Maranatha and Mickel.
Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac
Munther Isaac is a Palestinian Christian pastor and theologian. He now pastors the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. He is also the academic dean of Bethlehem Bible College, and is the director of the highly acclaimed and influential Christ at the Checkpoint conferences.
Munther is passionate about issues related to the Palestinian theology. He speaks locally and internationally and has published numerous articles on issues related to the theology of the land, Palestinian Christians and Palestinian theology, holistic mission and reconciliation. He is the author of “The Other Side of the Wall”, “From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth”, “An Introduction to Palestinian Theology” (in Arabic), and a commentary on the book of Daniel (in Arabic). He is also involved in many reconciliation and interfaith forums. He is also a Kairos Palestine board member.
Munther originally studied civil engineering in Birzeit University in Palestine. He then obtained a Master in Biblical Studies from Westminster Theological Seminary and then a PhD from the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.
Munther is married to Rudaina – an architect, and together they have two boys: Karam (9) and Zaid (7).
Tony Deik
Tony Deik is a Palestinian Christian from Bethlehem, Palestine. For the last thirteen years, he has lived and ministered in different contexts, including in the Philippines, Hong Kong, England, Palestine, and Bolivia.
Tony is a member of the Networking Team and Board of Directors of the International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation, Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Bethlehem Bible College, Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, and a member of the organizing committee of Christ at the Checkpoint.
He is a PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen, researching biblical and Graeco-Roman conceptions of justice. Formerly, Tony directed the online education program at Bethlehem Bible College, served with Operation Mobilization onboard MV Logos Hope, and worked for the Centro de Capacitación Misionera in La Paz, Bolivia. In a previous career in computer science, he worked on large-scale research projects in semantic web and e-government interoperability for Birzeit University and the Palestinian government. In addition to his publications in computer science, he contributed to several edited volumes in theology and biblical studies, including Reading Ecclesiastes from Asia and Pasifika (SBL Press, 2020), The Religious Other (Carlisle: Langham, 2020), and Between Religion and Politics (Dar Manhal al Hayat, 2022 [Arabic]).
Shireen Awwad Hillal
Shireen Awwad Hilal is the Director of Community and Development of the Bethlehem Bible College. She is also an instructor at the College, where she teaches educational and leadership courses. Shireen holds a BA English Literature from Bethlehem University, an MA in Educational Administration from Texas A & M University and an MBA from Tel Aviv University. She is also involved in the work of the Shepherd Society, the social outreach arm of the Bethlehem Bible College. She has been a peace activist for many years. Shireen has been a women’s group leader and consultant for many years. Shireen is married with four children, and lives in Beit Sahour, West Bank, Palestine.
Rev. Dr. Yohanna Katanacho
Yohanna Katanacho is currently theacademic dean at Nazareth Evangelical College. He is a Palestinian Israeli Evangelical who studied at Bethlehem University (B.Sc.), Wheaton College (M.A.) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M. Div.; Ph.D.). He has taught at colleges and seminaries in many countries. He hasauthored or contributed to dozens of books and hundreds of articles in Arabic and English. ProfessorRev. Katanacho isalso the Lead Translator ofthe Spoken Audio Galilean Arabic Bible.
Dr. Tanas Alqassis
Tanas Alqassis is the Regional Manager for the Church Mission Society for Europe, Middle East and North Africa. Tanas has a vision to change the way the West views the Middle East and vice-versa. he has a passion for education, media, advocacy and a firm belief that the only solution for the Middle East is Jesus Christ. He worked for World Vision in Jerusalem and in Romania. In addition to serving as the chair of the board of the Bethlehem Bible College, Tanas also serves as the Chairman of Middle East Concern and board member of SAT7UK. Tanas has a Doctorate in Ministry degree concentrating on Practional Leadership.
Dr. Fares Abraham
Dr. Fares Abraham was born and raised in Beit Sahour in Palestine. Dr. Abraham is the founder and CEO of Levant Ministries that exists to honor God, make disciples, and raise leaders in the Middle East. He also leads NEXTGEN Initiative in the USA and around the world to mobilize Arab youth and young adults to fulfill the Great Commission. Prior to launching Levant, Fares worked as a senior consultant/strategist for a variety of large U.S. corporations and major government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington DC. He has also served as an organizational consultant and executive coach for leaders and organizations throughout the world. He is an author and a frequent guest speaker at conferences, universities, and different functions. He holds an MBA and a Doctor of Strategic Leadership degree. Fares also serves as an adjunct faculty professor at Liberty University. He is most passionate about reaching people with the gospel and equipping/empowering the next generation of leaders. He and his wife, Soha, have three children and splits his time between the Middle East and the United States.
Anthony Khair
Anthony Khair is a Bethlehem Bible College graduate of Biblical studies, of Palestinian and Honduran descent. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Arabic, he acquired his language skills through experiences living in Latin America, Palestine, and the United States. He is an active human rights activist, having spent a year working with the Mennonite Central Committee’s National Peace and Justice Ministries in Washington D.C., where he conducted advocacy work related to Palestine, Latin America, and migration to the United States, addressing both the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. Anthony also Led and coordinated the Palestine/South Africa solidarity pilgrimage with the South African NGO “Iziko Lamaqabane”.
