ANNUAL REPORT FOR LCJE LATIN AMERICA 2004
By Rev. David Sedaca, Latin American Coordinator
For the past few months I continued my regular contacts with various leaders of Jewish evangelism in Latin America.
The most important work continues to be carried out in Argentina, home to Latin America's largest Jewish community. There have been important changes. One of them is the appointment of Yosef Chemi as Director of Chosen People Ministries, Argentina. Yosef is a Jewish from Argentina, born and raised in an Orthodox Jewish home. He attended rabbinical school and graduated from Yeshiva, yet, in the midst of his rabbinical studies, he found Yeshua to be the promised Jewish Messiah. After graduating from the International Baptist Theological Seminary he joined Chosen People Ministries in Argentina. He has now been appointed Director for Argentina and Chosen People Ministries' representative in South America. Chemi's book, YESHUA EN LAS FIESTAS JUDIAS (Yeshua in the Jewish Holy Days) has recently been published and has been very well received. As the title indicates, this book helps both Jews and Christians Spanish speaking to understand how Yeshua is the prophetic fulfillment of the Jewish Holy Days.
In December of 2004 Chosen People Ministries dedicated the new Messianic center on Sarmiento Street, downtown Buenos Aires, where Beit Sar Shalom Messianic Jewish Congregation is housed as well. Although the building had been used for quite some time, it required extensive renovations to better adapt it for public worship and offices.
Another event is the recent appointment of German Dario Tomas to work among the Jewish people in Argentina's third largest city, Cordoba. Tomas, who has a degree in Public Relations in enrolled in the Baptist Seminary where he is seeking further theological education.
In Mexico City, the work of Jewish evangelism is increasing, but not without difficulties. Elias Habif, missionary in Mexico City and leader of the messianic congregations in Mexico City and Pachuca reports that his greatest hurdle is the lack of support from traditional evangelical churches that do not understand the need for Jewish evangelism. Many churches do not see, in spite of their lack of success in reaching the Jews for the Messiah, the need for specific Jewish evangelism. A new national conference in Mexico City is planned for this autumn.
We maintain contact with Jewish believers and other involved in Jewish evangelism in Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.
Under the auspices of LCJE we are hoping to materialize a conference of Latin American Jewish evangelists and leaders latter on this year. In order to be possible for these leaders to attend, we are looking for missionary organizations to sponsor a number of potential attendees to this conference. Please pray for the work of Jewish evangelism amongst the Jewish communities in Latin America.
David Sedaca
[email protected]