Mercy Aiken
PROGRAM MANAGER | MIDDLE EAST
Mercy Aiken is a cross cultural advocate, bridge-builder, storyteller, author, activist, and pilgrimage leader with years of experience living in the Middle East, particularly Palestine and Israel. She is passionate about the flourishing of eastern Christians, Muslims and Jews. Her peacebuildIng is centered in (but not limited to) the Holy Land. She organizes and leads unique pilgrimages to the Holy Land designed to build empathy, understanding, and a more embodied expression of our faith, especially as it comes to peacebuilding. Mercy is convinced that the more we can learn about each other, the more we will be led with curiosity and empathy rather than fear and suspicion.
Mercy volunteered with Bethlehem Bible College on and off between 2015-2020. During that time, she co-wrote "Yet in the Dark Streets Shining," with Bishara Awad, founder of the college. Bishara's memoir tells the little-known story of Palestinian Christians as experienced through the life of one man, his family, and his nation. How Bishara and his community continue to carry themselves through displacement and oppression with faith, grace and truth, can inspire a new generation of Jesus-following peacebuilders while introducing them to a side of the "conflict" they probably were not aware of. Her upcoming writing project will be a similar story: that of Dave and Lisa Loden, longtime reconciliation ministers in Israel from within the Messianic community.
Telling such stories is part of the "slow work" of peacebuilding, as it gently allows us to behold the humanity and beauty of the "other." This does not change political systems, but it does create a more expansive environment in the human heart, allowing us the ability to envision a new future led by love-which never fails.
Mercy is also the Relationship Manager for the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME). In her capacity with Peace Catalyst International, Mercy will continue to serve in this role, engaging with evangelical leaders, scholars, and pastors to learn more about the challenges that Christians and others face in the Holy Land and across the Middle East, and encouraging them to become active peacebuilders in their communities and with regard to Palestine/Israel.
She will be based in Egypt for an upcoming season of time, where she plans to serve in local ministries, help develop and lead Peace Catalyst’s engagement with Palestine and Israel, continue to expand NEME’s outreach into the Evangelical world, host conversations and book clubs on peacebuilding in Israel/Palestine, and write her upcoming book with the Lodens.
Mercy holds a B.A. in English from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Arts in Theology and Culture with an emphasis on Peacemaking from Saint Stephen’s University in New Brunswick, Canada.
For more about Mercy’s work with Israel/Palestine, see: