Missionaries in Modiin...

A few readers of the blog have sent the Muqata an interesting issue that has arisen in the city of Modi'in. The city of Modi'in and the Muqata Blog have a love/hate bittersweet relationship. There are pockets of normality in Modi'in and I have many friends in the city -- yet the current issue once again exposes the wacky uber-liberals that seem to rule the place.

For the record, here are some previous posts about Modi'in:

Offensive language in public places
Modiin School prohibits boy from putting on tefillin.
Modiin residents try to keep Chareidim away by charging park entrance fee....(but to be perfectly honest, this is a complex issue)

But lets forget about the past, today we have a whole new story! The following appeared on the Modiin Community Email List [cached links provided by the Muqata]

Hi,

There is a couple named Brig and Michelle Jones that live in the towers on Migdal HaLevanon st. (where I also live) who I believe may be Christian missionaries.

To summarize, Brig is a Christian spiritual leader who has been involved with missionary churches in the U.S. They are here in Israel doing "guerrilla ministry" (according to one of their friends) and are trying to establish a church in Rishon Litzion (a Hebrew website already exists). Brig was involved in an interview titled, "Congregation in Israel-ministry to Jews." They seem eager to form children's groups and friends of theirs have posted pictures online of Brig playing soccer with neighborhood boys in the big park on Migdal HaLevanon (some of whom I know come from religious Jewish families).

It is not clear to me if the parents of these children are up-to-date on the Joneses' background. To be clear, I do not have solid evidence that they are missionaries. But there seem to be enough warning signs to raise a general alert and I welcome a response on the part of the Joneses. I think this issue should be investigated further, as it is my belief that missionary work is illegal in Israel. I am not interested in getting involved in any political back-and-forth with anyone on this list. I just want to alert parents and people in the neighborhood to a potential threat.

Here are some of the things I found:

http://www.rockportbaptist.org/prayerlist.htm
[Cached Link, since original was mysteriously removed/edited]

"Pray for Brig and Michelle as they have returned to serve in Israel and have many decisions to make!"


Apparently the church they were involved with in the U.S. has an active missionary component (see the information at the bottom of the above link. There is an entire section called "Missionaries," which contains the following line:

"Please pray that the Lord will preserve and grow for Vincent and Gift as they undergo persecution for the gospel" - it sounds as if the church is not against sending members to areas where missionary activity is frowned upon).

The following is the account of one of their friends, who visited with "Pastor Jones" here in Israel.

http://bondev.org/pioneerpress/issues/9-September.pdf
[Cached Link, since original was mysteriously removed/edited]

"Brandon Mann serves here at Bonhomme in many ways, including teaching a Spiritual Formation class on Sunday mornings. He also founded and runs a ministry called Ministries@Work—you should ask him about it sometime. But last month, Brandon went to Israel for ten days of service with a dear friend to Bonhomme, Brig Jones. Here are some of Brandon’s reflections on this time of ministry:"

“I spent many days with Pastor Jones experiencing biblically significant sites and doing 'guerilla ministry' including:

Talking to Arabic youths and a restaurant manager in Nazareth about the reality of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension (which is disputed in Islam).

Speaking about Christ’s love to a holocaust survivor’s daughter in Caesarea.

Explaining Jesus’ sacrifice to our Arabic cab driver over lunch in Bethlehem (which is in Palestinian controlled West Bank).

Defending the authority of Jesus the Messiah (i.e. “Yeshua Hameshia” in Hebrew) with orthodox Jews at the Western Wall of the temple in Jerusalem.

Helping lead a Russian Bible study and worship service in Ashkelon (6.5 miles north of the Gaza Strip).

“I also had the great blessing and privilege to teach 'Sabbath School' to about 100 adults at Pastor Jones’ church “Grace and Truth.” Grace and Truth meets in a reception hall down an alley in the town of Rishon LeZion between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem."

Below is the description of an interview posted online:

http://www.khcb.org/interviews/jones_bri.php [Cached here]

Brig Jones
Air Date 1: July 22, 2011
Air Date 2: August 1, 2011
Subject: Congregation in Israel-ministry to Jews
Ministry headquarters are in Arnold, Missouri.
Gaining Christ Ministries
3761 Telegraph Rd.
Arnold, MO 63010

Below is the blog of a family that came to Israel and visited the Joneses.

http://pottebaumsinisrael.blogspot.com/ [Mysteriously Removed...but cached here]

If you look specifically at "day 11" (under "Blog Archive" on the left side, you can choose which day to read about [or click here to see a direct link of the cached backup]), there are pictures of Brig and friends playing with kids in the park in Modi'in.

"Day 4," entitled "The Playground," sounds like potential missionary work (and details possible missionary techniques). [click here to see a direct link of the cached backup]

They have set-up a website in Hebrew (like other Christian missionaries in Israel have done) to promote their church: http://www.graceandtruth.org.il/?lang=heb [cached copy before it gets mysteriously deleted as well]

Here is Brig speaking about his church in Israel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw_Khsl-RUU [youtube video removed...haven't had the time to "resurrect it" from cache]

Here are publicly-posted pictures of them (and pictures from the towers) for anyone who wants to warn their kids to keep their distance: https://picasaweb.google.com/104094530848615380806/Israel2009#5420740224791162578 [Picasaweb album removed...haven't had the time to "resurrect it" from cache]

I also found this: http://rockportworship.blogspot.com/2009/06/brig-and-michelle.html [Cached here, after being mysteriously deleted]
Modiin, being Modiin, immediately had its share of knee-jerk reactions from the uber-liberals.

That was the post.

Modiin, being Modiin, immediately had its share of knee-jerk reactions from the uber-liberals.

My personal favorite arrived just moments ago:

Btw. I know from personal experience that there are orthodox Jewish movements who are actively working on bringing secular Jews (back) to a religious lifestyle or trying to convince gentiles married to Jews to consider conversion to Judaism, but that wouldn't be considered missionary activity, right?

Because after all, living in the Jewish State, educating people about Judaism should be outlawed (in Modi'in).

Other include:

I would strongly recommend against harassing the missionaries because that can be considered illegal depending on the type of harassment. Also, historically, missionaries have not been very successful in converting Jews in Israel so I wouldn't' worry about it too much.

No one said anything about harassing them, but this commenter wouldn't worry too much because missionaries aren't very successful. Sort of like pedophiles...they aren't always that successful...so why bother letting the community know about them? After all, they are only targeting kids.

The following was also classic:

I was very sad and a bit stunned to read this posting, which reminds me of the pashkvilim (posters) one sees in Mea Shea'rim.

I happen to know this lovely couple and the posting is a gross violation of their privacy and defamation of character.

I would think that those who are so "haredim" about their religion would also be concerned about not falling into lashon hara.

Yes, warning people about missionaries is exactly the same as the pashkevilim in Mea Shearim. The lovely couple's privacy was defamed because someone listed all the links from them on the internet? Then the uber-tzadekkes aims for the "lashon hara" grandslam...

The bottom line is this: There are certain BASIC issues about living in Israel that one expects, and not having Christian missionaries target children is one of them.

Kudos to the remaining sane people in Modiin that stand up for the protection of their children, and my utter disdain to those who in the name of pluralism believe that everything in Modiin should be allowed.

And to Brig and Michelle Jones, please missionize somewhere else...Gaza would be a nice place to start.

Update: And for all the legal geniuses in Modiin who claim it is not illegal to proselytize in Israel -- missionizing to minors is absolutely illegal, and punishable by 6 months in jail:

"לא ידון איש על המרת דת עם קטין (מתחת לגיל 18) ללא הסכמת הוריו." (ראה חוק הכשרות המשפטית והאפוטרופסות,
תשכ"ב-1962: 31א., המרת דתו של קטין ,תיקון: תשכ"ה, תשמ"א, תשנ"ו)

A person shall not discuss conversion with a minor (under 18) without his parents consent.

"המשדל קטין, בפניה ישירה אליו, להמיר דתו, דינו - מאסר ששה חדשים." (חוק העונשין תשל"ז-1987 סעיף 368 ב.)
"העורך טקס המרת דתו של קטין או עושה פעולה אחרת המביאה לידי המרת דתו של קטין, בניגוד להוראות סעיף 13א לחוק הכשרות המשפטית והאפוטרופסות, תשכ"ב-1962, דינו - מאסר ששה חדשים." (368א.)

A person who solicits a minor to convert his religion, the punishment is 6 months in prison. A person who conducts a conversion ceremony for a minor or any other action which could cause a minor to convert, in violation of law 13a, the punishment is 6 months in prison.

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The Missionary Billboards, and the Apology

Last week, numerous readers of the Muqata blog from Israel sent me notice and photos of Missionary billboards being posted in Israeli cities around Israel, including Lod, Rechovot, Petach Tikva and others.

They show a Hebrew letter progression/equation from "Yeshu" (Jesus) to "Yeshu'a" (Salvation) with a web address which is a proselytizing, missionary website.


These billboards are illegal as missionary activity in Israel is forbidden under law, and they outraged many. Some of the billboards were defaced.


Under intense public pressure, the Keshet advertising company took down all the signs and replaced them with a huge apology:

Dear Residents of Lod

We apologize for the anguish caused by the ad campaign which attacked your sensitivities. May G-d be with you and send you blessings, success, economic wealth, and prosperity.

With blessings for a plesant and enjoyable summer.
Keshet Signs.

hat-tip: the Luddite and rotter.

Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד