Reflections from my first LCJE experience
By Aaron Abramson, Ministry Opportunities Coordinator, Jews for Jesus
I first learned of LCJE 6 years ago through the quarterly bulletin while training to be a missionary with Jews for Jesus. Initially I dismissed the rather plain looking publication, as something irrelevant and outdated.
However numerous LCJE anecdotes I heard from friends and colleagues in Jewish ministry, kindled an interest in spending time with these mission leaders. And so I began to pay closer attention to the LCJE Bulletin scanning it for thought provoking articles. Over the years, I have both read and appreciated various contributions from this committee and approached my first LCJE experience with expectation and interest.
The theme of this year’s conference was "The Urgency of Jewish Evangelism." With exception to Kai Kjær-Hansen’s lecture on the ‘Bible Men’ of Jerusalem in the 1820’s, discussion seldom touched upon this theme. Instead, we covered a wide spectrum of topics, discussing anything from Zionism and Evangelism, to Zion, Illinois and Millennialism. While the conference appeared to lack focus, many of the discussions raised important and stimulating issues. Baruch Maoz and Derek Leman pressed beyond what appeared to be ‘standard’ LCJE lines of thinking in each of their respective areas of discussion. This was evident in the flurry of reactions that followed.
Baruch’s paper addressed the issue of Zionism and Evangelism from a relatively common Israeli perspective. His views were met with some confusion and suspicion as he presented to a primarily North American audience. Yet his paper raised important questions about morality, the land, and despite his adamant objections, politics. His assertion that Israel’s moral imperative to love her neighbor outweighs her sovereign right to the land was grounded in Genesis 13. Abraham’s willingness to forfeit a portion of the land in an effort to make peace with Lot, served as a prime example for his argument. As one who grew up in Israel, this discussion was of particular interest to me. I was especially curious to see how people would react to the political implications of his statements.
In another vein, Derek Leman and Rich Robinson presented reviews of Kinzer’s recent work, Post Missionary Messianic Judaism. While Robinson gave a more critical evaluation, Leman’s paper affirmed the value of Kinzer’s argument. Despite Leman’s denunciation of Kinzer’s tendency toward inclusivism, he was received with much skepticism. Considering Kinzer’s lack of tolerance toward Jewish missions, I was surprised he didn’t encounter more.
Needless to say, these discussions continued beyond the confines of our meeting room. Meals and leisure time were spent with various people as we swapped experiences and ideas. It was a pleasure to meet so many people that were dealing with different issues and circumstances in their field of ministry. As the youngest person at every table I sat, I welcomed the opportunity to simply listen to issues others had worked through. I even got to know my own colleagues better during these times. My only disappointment was that I had hoped to encounter more innovation and creativity in the sphere of Jewish evangelism. I had hoped we would discuss new ideas for reaching the next generation of Jewish believers.
The point at which I became most confused was when the agenda turned toward business and resolutions. I was unfamiliar with the membership and committee aspects of the conference and was surprised the LCJE drafts resolutions. As a newcomer to these proceedings, I would have welcomed more explanation as to what we do as a committee and to what degree my word counts in these matters.
By and large I enjoyed my time at LCJE. The accommodation was pleasant, and the discussions were stimulating. While I disagree with certain views represented at LCJE, I appreciate the diversity of perspective and look forward to spending time with many of these people again. I believe it is in our best interests to grapple with the difficult issues we may not see eye to eye on. It forces us to reevaluate our own ideas and beliefs, and it causes us to pay attention to what God may be saying to us. This being said, I also believe we must not shy away from challenging one another in a spirit of love, and must be willing to receive such criticism from one another. I am certain the next time I attend LCJE I will once again be challenged as we ponder why and how we do what we do.
Aaron Abramson
avramson@gmail.com