Christ Church Jersusalem

Christ Church, Jerusalem, is an Anglican Church located just inside the Jaffa Gate inside the Old City of Jerusalem, sitting opposite of King David's Citadel.  The church was founded in 1849 and is the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East.  The church compound includes a Guest House, Coffee Shop, and Bookstore.  Prior to World War One, the church compound was also the site of the British Consulate.  The building survived the Israeli War of Independence and the Six-Day War intact, and continues to serve as an Anglican church with several English, Arabic, and Hebrew-speaking congregations.

Outside the entrance to the church

Inside the sanctuary

Looking towards the altar

The front altar decorated for Palm Sunday

The front altar decorated for Palm Sunday

The Pulpit

The stained glass on the left and right sides of the altar show an olive tree and depict the apostle Paul's teaching in the book of Romans on the mystery of God's election of Israel and his warning to the church to not be arrogant towards the Jewish people.  "I ask then: Has God rejected his people?  By no means! ...They are beloved for the sake of their fathers.  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

The side nave

Looking back towards the front entrance and the choir loft above

The stained glass above the entrance is the oldest window in Christ Church.  It represents the divine and human identity of Jesus.  The star of David reminds us of His Jewishness, the three names of the Godhead point to His divinity (Immanuel), the wheat and grapes indicate His sufficiency for all human need (I am the Bread of Life; I am the true Vine).

The Christ Church bookstore, right outside the compound, on The Armenian Patriarchate street