Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism (LCJE) has since its beginning, dating back to the LCWE consultation in Pattaya, 1980, been a very active network. Based on the Lausanne Covenant LCJE’s aim has been to bring together people and organization who seek to reach the Jewish people with the Gospel.
LCJE is grateful that there will be an issue group at FORUM 04 focusing on Jewish evangelism. Due to the late date for establishing the group it will have only a small participation.
However, our expectations are that we will be able to work very effectively during the time in Thailand. In the work prior to the consultation other persons than those signed up for the group will be involved and in this way contribute to the final outcome.
At the same time LCJE is grateful that several people involved in Jewish evangelism will have the possibility of participating in some of the other issue groups at FORUM 04.
Expected outcomes at FORUM 04
- LCJE is a loose network. During its almost 25 years’ long history the suggestion has been voiced—from time to time—that the LCJE network should break away from the LCWE. However, such suggestions never found agreement within the leadership of the LCJE. The fact that there will be an issue group focusing on Jewish evangelism at FORUM 04 will strengthen the connection between LCJE and LCWE. In the eyes of the LCJE leadership this is already an important outcome of our participation in the consultation.
- In Pattaya 1980 the LOP no.7 was produced with the title Christian Witness to the Jewish People. At FORUM 04 our goal is to produce a similar, but updated booklet, of 30-40 pages.
- In the booklet we will be speaking to the church on the necessity of Jewish evangelism. We will do this for the sake of the church, for the sake of the Jewish people, and in a special way for the sake of Jewish believers.
- We will seek to address the topic theologically including a rebuff with a destructive two-covenant theology but also with a critique of a similar evangelical ”replacement” theology where the gospel is been replaced with charity and political support for the State of Israel.
- In a descriptive part our aim is to give an overview of present day Judaism with a brief presentation of the different trends within Judaism today. It will also include an overview of Jewish evangelism worldwide and a paragraph describing Jewish opposition to Jewish evangelism.
- Following that we will discuss the theological and ecclesiological issues lately being discussed among Jesus-believing Jews themselves.
- Finally we will look at methodology and strategy for the future work in Jewish evangelism.
- Our aim is to include a few appendices with a bibliography and a brief survey of the history of LCJE.
- We hope through this to make it clear also to the church that if Jesus is not Messiah for Jews, He is not Christ for non-Jews. It is our firm conviction that by speaking clearly and firmly on the need to share the gospel with the Jewish people we will be doing world evangelism a theological favor. What we are saying is that when the people that is closest to the living God need Jesus, then everybody else needs him, too
Best regards—in the Messiah,
Kai Kjær-Hansen
Leadership
Convener
Kai Kjaer-Hansen, Denmark
International Coordinator, LCJE
Co-convener
Bodil Skjott, Denmark
Consultant, Danish Israel Mission
Read the Lausanne Occasional Paper (LOP) produced by this Issue Group:
LOP 60: Jewish Evangelism: A Call to the Church (.pdf format; 358 KB)