From the coordinator
LCJE is not a secret society
LCJE North America held its 21th meeting in Toronto, Canada, in the days 26-27 April, 2004. The meeting gathered about 80 participants - the biggest number ever at meeting in LCJE NA's history. In this number we have not even included a journalist from The Canadian Jewish News!
Ron Csillag, staff reporter for CJN, did not have the courage, it seems, to present himself at the registration with his press card but sneaked into the meeting hall and afterwards wrote an article titled "Missionaries plan to step up conversion efforts".
No hard feelings on that account! Although his underhand methods do not evoke admiration. But LCJE is not a secret society!
Ron Csillag is right when he writes: "The two-day gathering at a local hotel was presented by the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism, a task force formed in 1980 in Thailand "so that more Jewish people will hear and consider the Good News of Jesus," according to a brochure."
The article also says:
"The CJN was alerted to the conference by Jews for Judaism, and a reporter attended the session on messianic activities in Canada, a country described as a welcoming yet challenging place to spread the gospel to my people, said Andrew Barron, director of Toronto-based Jews for Jesus, Canada."
It is also true that Canada, as well as many other places in the world, is a challenge to Jewish evangelism. By and large we can only be delighted at the publicity LCJE and Jewish evangelism receive through the article, which can be read in its entirety here.
However, I wish I had had the opportunity to shake hands with Ron Csillag and look him in the face in Toronto! But, sadly enough, he either would not or dared not do it!
In connection with the meeting in Toronto LCJE's International Coordinating Committee was gathered for a meeting. It was decided that the eighth international LCJE conference will be held 9-13 August, 2007, somewhere in (former) Eastern Europe - Budapest, Prague, Berlin or ...? Reserve these days already now!
Kai Kjær-Hansen
lcje.int@gmail.com