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Note #7984 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Conversion of Jews isn't focus of Philadelphia NCD
03450
October 23, 2003

Conversion of Jews isn't focus of Philadelphia NCD, PC(USA) officials say

Jewish-Christian church reaching out to unchurched, mixed-families and the
already converted

by Jerry L. Van Marter
and John D. Filiatreau

LOUISVILLE - Leaders and supporters of a controversial new-church development
in Philadelphia say it does not represent the beginning of a concerted effort
by the Presbyterian Church (USA) to convert Jews to Christianity.

	Congregation Avodat Yisrael, a "messianic" Jewish congregation that
has received new-church development funds from its presbytery, synod and the
General Assembly, held its first worship service on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish
New Year, on Sept. 16.

	Jewish leaders in Philadelphia and Jewish newspapers around the
country have criticized the move as disrespectful at best, and at worst "a
deceptive attempt to lure Jews into the Christian fold."

	The church also has produced "tension, if not division," in
Philadelphia Presbytery, its executive, the Rev. Ed Gehres Jr., told the
Presbyterian News Service.

	The criticism is not warranted, said Avodat Yisrael's pastor, the
Rev. Andrew Sparks, a Jewish convert to Christianity. "I'm surprised by the
reaction in the Jewish community, because we've tried very hard to maintain
good relations," he said in an Oct. 22 interview. "Nothing we do indicates
we're into aggressive proselytization."

	Sparks added: "We're seeking to be faithful to our call as
Christians. There's a growing number of Jewish people who are coming to faith
in Jesus Christ but who want to honor and maintain their Jewish heritage - to
be faithful both to Jesus and to how God made them as Jews."

	According to funding proposals submitted to Philadelphia Presbytery,
the Synod of the Trinity and the Mission Development Resources Committee
(MDRC) of the General Assembly Council, say Avodat Yisrael represents
outreach to three groups:

	* People who are Jewish by birth but who do not practice Judaism as a
religion;

	* "Mixed" Jewish-Christian families;

	* Jews who already have converted to Christianity and are seeking a
worshipping community that  professes Jesus Christ as Savior but honors
Jewish tradition and liturgy.

	The Avodat Yisrael proposal was controversial from the beginning, and
won approval in a lengthy, start-and-stop process that only began in January
2002 when it was endorsed by a majority vote of Philadelphia Presbytery,
which pledged $145,000 to the new church.

	Two subsequent attempts to rescind the approval, in February and May
of 2002, were narrowly defeated, according to Gehres.

	When a grant application from Avodat Yisrael reached the Synod of the
Trinity, "our committee was divided," said the Rev. Bruce Stevens, a member
of the synod staff at the time. "We wondered about the effect of this
congregation on Jewish-Christian relations in Philadelphia - Is this
proselytizing? Presbyterians have had a unique relationship with the Jewish
community, and we didn't want to mess that up."

	The synod returned the proposal to the presbytery with "numerous"
questions attached, Stevens said, and it came back to the synod that summer
"with all our questions answered."

	Avodat Yisrael sought $75,000 from the synod, which approved a grant
of $40,000; and asked the MDRC for $125,000 and got $75,000. (Numerous press
reports used the larger, erroneous figures.)

	The MDRC, part of the Evangelism and Church Development office of the
National Ministries Division (NMD), carefully scrutinized the proposal, and
ultimately decided that nothing in it violated established PC(USA) policy
regarding the relationship between Jews and Christians.

	"It was the most discussed and most extensively reviewed proposal
we've ever had," said Tim McCallister, of member of the committee's support
staff.

	The MDRC's grant of $75,000 is to be paid to Avodat Yisrael through
Philadelphia Presbytery over five years.

	"We attached strong conditions to the grant, and so far they've met
them all," McCallister said.

	"Clearly, the events in Philadelphia have raised questions among
those outside the church regarding the policies of the Presbyterian Church in
regard to Christian-Jewish relations and evangelization of the Jews," said
the Rev. Jay Rock, coordinator of the denomination's Interfaith Relations
Office. "The fact that the PC(USA) has given support to this NCD does not
change the commitments of the church ... to bring the good news of Jesus
Christ to the whole world (and) to build positive and respectful relations
between Presbyterians and Jews."

	A policy paper approved by the 1987 General Assembly, "A Theological
Understanding of the Relationship Between Christians and Jews," says:

	"We affirm that the reign of God is attested both by the continuing
existence of the Jewish people and by the church's proclamation of the gospel
of Jesus Christ. Hence, when speaking with Jews about matters of faith, we
must always acknowledge that Jews are already in a covenantal relationship
with God."

	The Rev. Cynthia Jarvis, the pastor of the Presbyterian Church of
Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, is leading a group of ministers who oppose
church support of Avodat Yisrael and evangelization efforts directed at Jews.

	Jarvis collected 150 signatures endorsing a statement that Avodat
Yisrael's promotion of "messianic Judaism" is "misleading both to the Jews
and to the Christians and ... contrary to our own theological tradition." The
group bought advertising space in a Philadelphia Jewish newspaper and
published its statement of opposition.

	"I wanted to do something to say that the support for Avodat Yisrael
does not represent all Presbyterians," Jarvis said in an Oct. 22 interview.

	"The denomination in its new-church development efforts is treating
Jews the same as Koreans or Ethiopians," she said. "It turns out that the
Presbyterian Church, the one theologically thoughtful denomination above all
others, is now just one of the crowd. ... Now we see what can happen in the
church when we thought it was all about sex."

	Jarvis said she has been actively opposing the project since the day
she read about it in the minutes of the January 2000 presbytery meeting. She
played a role in both unsuccessful efforts to have the presbytery's approval
overturned. (Her group actually got a majority of votes at one meeting, but
needed two-thirds.)

	She says it is irresponsible for the PC(USA) to be spending money for
such a purpose "when the church is in major deficit" financially.

	Jarvis is planning a conference on Jewish-Christian relations at
Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City next spring. She hopes it can
serve as "a positive model of how Jews and Christians can come together and
thoughtfully examine our identities

	The Rev. Chuck Denison, coordinator of the PC(USA)'s new-church
development program, said congregations such as Avodat Yisrael are not trying
to undermine Jewish religious traditions.

	"Our support of Avodat Yisrael involves no judgment of Jewish
religion or tradition," he said. "We're talking about people who are
ethnically Jewish but who have either accepted Christ, or who are seeking. In
the case of mixed marriages, the question is how to respect the Jewish ethnic
and cultural traditions while growing in Christian faith, or in the
understanding of Christian faith."

	Trying to balance the evangelistic demands of the gospel with respect
for other religious traditions is an issue with which the church has
struggled for centuries.

	"Of course the Jewish community is upset," said Gehres, who has
convened several meetings between Philadelphia rabbis and PC(USA) pastors.
"The rabbis say you can't have it both ways - to be a Christian by religion
and Jewish by ethnicity. And we Presbyterians haven't explored in enough
depth the religious and ethnic issues and the interplay between them."

	The Rev. Rob Weingartner, executive director of the Outreach
Foundation, a group that raises money in support of Presbyterian evangelism
efforts around the world, said it has provided $9,000 of indirect funding to
Avodat Yisrael and committed another $5,000 for 2004. "One reality is that
there are disagreements about the nature of the church's mission,"
Weingartner said. "We believe in a humble, holistic witness, not an arrogant
one."

	However, he added, "we also believe Jesus is the only Savior and
Lord, and so our proclamation must include the invitation to accept Jesus.
That invitation extends to all. No one is excluded from that call. Certainly
there are special challenges, given the history of difficulty between
Christians and Jews."

	More information about Avodat Yisrael is available on its Web site:
www.avodatyisrael.com.

Editor's note: For background on the history of the Presbyterian Church's
involvement in outreach to Jews, read John Filiatreau's companion story,
"Jewish ministries nothing new for Presbyterians," story #03451.

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