Helsinki 7-12 August 2003
We are looking forward to this Seventh International Conference with great
expectations. The theme of the conference is Jesus and His People,
and this will be elucidated through interesting topics dealt with by competent
speakers. We are also expecting a conference where the participants will
take the opportunity to network with each other.
On the behalf of the Finnish LCJE committee, Pirkko Säilä writes
about the conference – and not least about Finland – and perhaps
someone will feel tempted to spend their holiday in Finland before or
after the conference. Or incorporate a trip to St. Petersburg now that
they are in that part of the world.
The travel agencies’ internet addresses are given in the program.
One of those who had an active part in forming LCJE in 1980 and who participated
in most of the subsequent LCJE conferences is no longer among us. Dr.
Louis Goldberg died in November. Victor Smadja and Michael Rydelnik commemorate
him in their eulogies, but there is also a reprint of Louis Goldberg’s
contribution at the Sixth International Conference in New York 1999. Here
Dr. Goldberg spoke as an LCJE veteran and said about the international
conferences he had taken part in that he had ”profited greatly from
the opportunities for personal acquaintance with fellow workers today
as well as obtaining invaluable information on how various organizations
structure their ideology and carry on their ministries.”
Other participants have said the same thing at previous conferences. Despite
all our differences we need each other in our shared task to reach as
many Jewish people as possible with the gospel.
This issue of the Bulletin also has three contributions about anti-Semitism
with reflections on how it influences Jewish evangelism. It is important
for all of us who are involved in Jewish evangelism to watch anti-Semitism
closely – and speak up against it in our respective contexts.
In LCJE we proclaim boldly that anti-Semitism is anti-biblical, but we
say equally boldly that it is also anti-Semitism to fail to proclaim the
gospel to Jewish people
.
The Helsinki conference will help us to maintain our commitment.
Kai Kjær-Hansen