Global Conference on Russian Jewish Church Planting
WARSAW, POLAND, SEPTEMBER 14-18
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Thursday Evening: A Celebration of Messianic Unity
Two messages on unity were delivered with great passion on Wednesday night.
A Messianic Jewish leader from Germany and another from Kiev led the discussion. They compared the blessings of the current movement to that of the Jesus movement of the late 1960s through the early 1980s.
The reasons for disunity were discussed and the steps to overcome these issues became the focus of both messages.
Prayer, better familiarity, and the development of trust was mentioned as being crucial to the future for the unity of the modern Messianic Movement and for a sense of mutual community between the Messianic Jewish believers and the Church in general.
This conference was used as a good example of the type of effort that enhances the unity of the Messianic movement and tempers the possible disunity that potentially could arise from the various positions represented and the now varying countries where the Russian Messianic believers live.
One of the questions asked by a conference participant focused on the need for a more formal Messianic fellowship. One of the speakers mentioned that this might be good but is not necessary to fulfill God’s bright future for the Messianic movement. There is already a strong variety of efforts to reach Jewish people and provide a broader Messianic fellowship with periodic meetings for leaders and congregants and so it was not felt that this would be a fruitful effort. It seems clear that the Russian Messianic Jews prefer to join already existing global Messianic fellowships and to enrich these groups with their cultural perspective that was somewhat representative to the Jewish experience of many of their grandparents.
The answer by the leader of the very large Kiev congregation stressed the necessity of finding unity with the “Gentile” congregations. He added that this gives broader and more depth to the unity enjoyed between the Messianic congregations.
A Messianic Jewish leader from Germany and another from Kiev led the discussion. They compared the blessings of the current movement to that of the Jesus movement of the late 1960s through the early 1980s.
The reasons for disunity were discussed and the steps to overcome these issues became the focus of both messages.
Prayer, better familiarity, and the development of trust was mentioned as being crucial to the future for the unity of the modern Messianic Movement and for a sense of mutual community between the Messianic Jewish believers and the Church in general.
The Russian/German leader focused on the testimony that mutual respect and love emphasized with one another can have. It also became clear that this very conference was one of the tools God was using to build this greater unity among Russian-speaking Messianic Jews around the world!
The group felt that this affirmed the sentiments of the Messiah Jesus Himself, who prayed,
“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:2-21)