WAVERLY - A Palestinian-born Lutheran minister working in Brooklyn, N.Y., will serve as pastor in residence at Wartburg College and participate in Cedar Valley area activities this week.

The Rev. Khader El-Yateem is pastor of Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Wartburg is a college of the ELCA.

El-Yateem grew up as a Christian in Beit Jala, Palestine. He received his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

Ordained in 1996, he was serving his Brooklyn parish at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City.

Events that will take place during his residency include:

Church Row Neighborhood get-together with El-Yateem, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Trinity Lutheran Church, West Fourth and South streets, Waterloo

Chapel service with message by El-Yateem, 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Wartburg Chapel

Celebration of Eucharist with greetings from El-Yateem, 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Wartburg Chapel

"Climates of Fear, Testimonies of Hope and Faith," student panel moderated by El-Yateem, 11:30 a.m. Thursday, McCaskey Lyceum, Saemann Student Center.

The Rev. El-Yateem was invited here as a result of efforts by Wartburg's "Commission on Mission" task force, devoted to exploring the college's commitment to faith.

The task force will host a variety of events this fall, providing a symposium on issues of faith.

The Faith Task Force will host a point-counterpoint between Robert Benne and Tom Christenson on what it means to be a college of the church.

The event is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sept. 30 in Neumann Auditorium.

Christenson has taught at Augsburg College and Concordia College and now serves as professor of philosophy at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio; all are affiliated with the ELCA.

Benne is director of the Center for Religion and Society at Roanoke College in Virginia, a college of the ELCA.

The final Faith Task Force event will be a Faith Celebration scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in Wartburg Chapel.

The Rev. Dr. David L. Miller, former editor of The Lutheran Magazine, will preach, and several music groups will perform.