LAUSANNE CONSULTATION on JEWISH EVANGELISM Eight International Conference Lake Balaton, Hungary 19-24 August 2007
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LAUSANNE CONSULTATION ON JEWISH EVANGELISM Eight International Conference Lake Balaton, Hungary 19-24 August 2007 21 August 2007 Contents 21 August 2007 Stories from Eastern Europe Morning session Rolf G. Heitmann: Jewish Mission to Hungary............168 Jim Melnick: Jewish evangelism today in the Former Soviet Union ..............................................173 LCJE Ferenc Kozma: The Jewish community Lake Balaton, in Hungary today ....................................................180 Hungary 2007 Susan Perlman: Jewish evangelism through the eyes of the media .............................................185 © Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism Afternoon session Stanislav Alexiev: Jewish evangelism in Bulgaria.......187 Editor: Kai Kjær-Hansen Vladimir Pikman: Jewish evangelism Editorial assistant: Birger among Russian Jews in Germany..........................189 Petterson Designed by: Flemming Evening session Markussen Kai Kjær-Hansen: Isaac Lichtenstein – a Jesus-believing Hungarian rabbi.........................191 Hanspeter Obrist: My concern is to build bridges .......195 Frank Arthur: Stories from Russia ...............................197 David Zadok: The good Samaritan..............................199 International Office LCJE Ellebækvej 5 Box 11 DK – 8520 Lystrup Denmark Tel: (45) 8622 6470 e-mail [email protected] Web site: www.LCJE.net LCJE Networking Jewish Evangelism Conference Theme Jewish Evangelism Telling the Story 166 LCJE Lake Balaton 2007 Edited by Kai Kjær-Hansen Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism Århus, Denmark 2007 167 Morning Session Jewish mission to Hungary Rolf G. Heitmann, General Secretary, Norwegian Church Ministry to Israel This paper is not a comprehensive review The Moravians had a great impact on of all initiatives and acts taken to reach the the Lutheran German-speaking population Jewish people of Hungary with the Gospel. in Hungary, primarily in Transylvania and I will therefore primarily focus on what is Upper Hungary. Hungarian students close to me: The Hungarian-Norwegian studying at German universities became partnership in mission, which is only a familiar with this new wave of spirituality smaller piece of Mission to Hungary in and went back home as ambassadors for general and the Jewish people in this new mission movement. Next to these particular. students the Moravians also sent “preachers”, or missionaries, to the area. The renewal of mission The first, András Jäschke and Zacharias In spite of differences, like language and Hirschel were sent to Transylvania in 1740, culture, there are also similarities between and they spent a longer period of time in Hungary and Norway. The peoples of the cities like Nagyszeben, Brassó and two countries were Christianized at he Beszterce Their reports are not only same time by their respective kings comforting. The two brethren wrote that “in Stephan and Olav, i.e. around 1000 AD. no other countries had they found such Both countries were strongly influenced by ungodly people as here and in Sweden”. the reformation and adopted Lutheranism Maybe this was also the reason for staying as major confession, even if the counter- and the convincing argument for raising reformation later made Roman Catholicism support? the dominant confession. More important The Moravians did not establish any for our topic is the impact of the Moravian mission organization for Jewish mission, movement on the Christian population of but their theological understanding and the two countries, represented by Count concern for the salvation of Israel was Nicholas von Zinzendorf (1700-1760). obviously included in their teaching and The Moravians were more a movement practice. Zinzendorf himself had a clear than a Church, very much influenced by understanding of the role of the Jewish the pietistic revival with its focus on people in God’s plan of salvation: “The personal responsibility to share the Gospel issue of the Jews will develop until there is and live their lives in piety. The renewed a congregation among them who will perspective by Zinzendorf is first of all the circumcise their children, keep the way he included the responsibility for the Sabbath, and later settle in the East” Jewish people. Theoretically and (1743) What amazing standpoint at that practically he tried to convince his time in history! followers about the importance of sharing the Gospel with Jews through words and The Scottish Mission deeds, by love and humility. The In 1839, after great revivals in Scotland, a Moravians are therefore the first mission deputation of four men (Dr. Alexander movement in modern times with a Keith, Dr. Alexander Black, Rev. Robert missiology and strategy including the Murray McCheyne and Rev. Andrew Jewish people. Alexander Bonar) were sent to Palestine to 168 seek ways to initiate mission work among report by William Allen from an encounter the Jews. However Dr. Black fell off his with Hebrew and Roman Catholic doctors camel in the Judean desert, seriously summarize: “The great subjects of the injured his leg, and decided to return. Dr. Gospel were defended and presented as Keith accompanied him on his return new … the discussion of these gave through the shortest highway; Danube exercise to his beloved acquirements of river. They came to Budapest and decided Hebrew and Latin. The latter he spoke with to stay one night., but Dr. Keith became ill, great purity, precision and readiness …. and they had to stay for a longer period. At When he had to quote the Scriptures, it this time of history Hungary was under the behoved to be in the original, as such is Habsburg regime which did not allow any the practice of the Jews, and only so is it of unauthorized protestant activities. authority. Such engagement, too, active – The Archduchess Maria Dorothea and the fruit was seen.” (1797-1855), by birth a princess of the One of the first “converts” was Israel Protestant house of Württemberg and Saphir. He was a wealthy merchant and influenced by the pietistic movement, confidant of the chief rabbi. Largely became aware of these missionaries, through his efforts many well-educated visited them and supported them in their Jews attended the services in English and needs. She urged them to stay and German language and the counselling establish a mission in the city, for reaching meetings. During the following eight years out to the numerous Jewish population of it is reported that more than 50 Jews came 240.000 of which 10.000 were living in to faith in Jesus and were baptized. Pest. The son of Israel Saphir, Adolph The delegation searching for a mission Saphir, describes his impression of these field in Palestine ended up by an accident years of revival as years of “solemnity: the in Budapest. On the request of the intense conviction of sin, the abundant joy Archduchess’ the Church of Scotland sent in redemption, the great love and brotherly dr. John Duncan, Robert Smith and unity …” Another son, Philip Saphir, William Owen Allan to Hungary in 1841 founded a primary school, at one time for with the aim to spread the Gospel among more than thousand pupils. the Jews, but also to seek contact with the Protestant Churches and to care for the An important part of the mission was to poor and needy. train the new believers to be missionaries Some Scotsmen were hired for building themselves. Many of these Jewish a new bridge over Danube, connecting the believers travelled around the country, two parts of the city, Buda and pest (Chain preaching the Gospel. The combination of bridge). They, and their families, became a sound theological teaching and reflection, base of a new British congregation. More deep spirituality and the dependence of important: A new bridge was built for the God brought forth fruit. In a letter to the Gospel. The superintendent of the General Assembly of the Scottish Church Reformed church, Pál Török, gave them in 1889, Professor Franz Delitzsch wrote permission to do religious activities. A that “Buda-pest showed in a striking way mission was established in the midst of the that there is a remnant in Israel according strong Catholic Hungarian-Austrian Empire to the election of grace”. which influenced not only Jews, but even Several of these Jews who came to Hungarian Protestants and Roman faith through the Scottish mission ended Catholics. up as new missionaries even in other Dr. Duncan, often named “the rabbi”, countries, like Adolph Saphir in Hamburg, had a good reputation and was deeply Alfred Edersheim in Iasi (Romania) and respected for his philosophical and Alexander Tomory in Constantinople. The theological learning and his spirituality. A last one ended up in Galac where he the 169 next couple of years baptized 50 Jewish told and written in mission magazines all adults according to the reports. over Europe. Maybe the story of The Scottish mission is a good example Lichtenstein even motivated the mission of both cooperation with the local church board in Norway to consider Hungary as a as well as equipping the new believers for new mission field? ministry. At a mission festival at the Scottish centre at Hold utca in Budapest in The Norwegian Mission January 1902 the first initiative was taken The Norwegian Israel Mission (later to establish a mission organization which Norwegian Church Ministry to Israel – later became the Hungarian Evangelical NCMI) was for several decades a mission Christian Missionary Society (Magyar organization without missionaries. Almost Evangéliumi Keresztyén Missziói 50 years after the founding of the Szövetség – MEKMSz). This was primarily organization (1844) the national board was a foreign missionary society. However, in gathered discussing the option of sending paragraph 10 in their statutes it is said that missionaries to Jews. The Norwegians it is a duty for the members of the would not accept that smaller and younger organization “to pray, contribute and work sister organizations in Sweden and for the Jews and pagans, out of love …” Denmark already had sent out their first The close relationship between the missionaries to Beirut, Poland and Scottish Mission and MEKMSz is Ukraine.