Compassion's Purse

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Gal 6:9

Earthly possessions should not be used to enable oppression. We call on the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church to decide that it will not invest in companies involved in human rights violations in Palestine.

For decades, the state of Israel has violated Palestinian rights. These human rights violations have been repeatedly condemned by the United Nations, human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and many other institutions. Still they continue, supported by many international businesses.

In the words of Tapio Luoma, Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Israel's policies have led to a situation where Palestinians cannot live in peace on their own land. People of conscience around the world must act to support justice in Palestine and help end the suffering that has gone on for generations.

On many issues, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church has stood by those in need, not just in words but in deeds. Over the years, the church has demonstrated its commitment to families struggling to make ends meet, to people who are alone and need help getting back on their feet, and to refugees looking for safety. The church has often taken a bold moral stance in support of justice and human rights, even when other institutions have turned a blind eye or acted with indifference.

Key figures of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, including Archbishop Tapio Luoma, Bishop of Kuopio Diocese Jari Jolkkonen, Bishop of Lapua Diocese Simo Peura, and Bishop of Espoo Diocese Kaisamari Hintikka, and others, as well as Finn Church Aid, have spoken out in solidarity with the Palestinians and called for peace and justice.

A growing number of Christian institutions around the world, including churches and congregations, are choosing to take a stand for human rights and divest their funds from companies complicit in human rights violations in Palestine. The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church has strong principles of ethical investment, yet it does not check whether the companies it invests in are involved in human rights violations in Palestine.

The World Council of Churches (WCC), with 356 member churches from over 120 countries, stated in June 2025 that Israel's actions violate the most basic principles of humanity. The WCC called on churches worldwide to witness, to speak out, and to act. WCC asked churches to name and denounce the reality of apartheid, and to take up a policy of divestment. The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member of WCC.

Palestinian Christians have called for support for their rights from Christians around the world:

We address our appeal to Christians around the world. We address this call from Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth — from the birthplace of Christ, the land of the Incarnation of the Word, and the cradle of love, mercy and justice. From the land of suffering, death and resurrection — the land of redemption and hope — from where humanity’s call to repentance and a return to the foundations of faith has come.

Now is the time to act.

We call on the church to:

• State that it will not invest in companies that are complicit in human rights violations in Palestine, including companies that operate in Israel’s illegal settlements.
• Check whether it has investments in such companies, including indirectly via investment portfolios, and if so, begin a process of divestment.

This call can be taken up by the church centrally, as well as by any individual congregation. By divesting, the church will uphold its best traditions of moral leadership and set a strong example for other institutions to take action for a just peace in Palestine.

Please sign the petition to ask the church to act ethically. It will be delivered to the Church Council and the Bishops’ Conference on in January 2027.

If you are interested in justice in the church, you can also become a candidate in the parish elections held on 15.11.2026 and make sure your congregation will act ethically when it comes to Palestine. You can get in touch with us for help!

You can also call on candidates in the parish elections to sign our pledge about ethical investment.