Baptists in Israel

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Nazareth Baptist Church (interior)
Liturgical center of the Nazareth Baptist Church

The majority of Baptists in Israel are members of the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel (ABCI) . Two churches (Jerusalem, Ramallah ) belong to the American Baptist Association . An independent Baptist church works in Tel Aviv .

history

Shukri Musa, a member of the First Baptist Church in Dallas , came to Israel in 1911, which at that time still belonged to the Ottoman Province of Palestine . He was probably the first Baptist missionary in the so-called Holy Land . His work was supported by the Baptist Association of the US state of Illinois . The first baptism performed by Musa took place in Zefat . The first church was planted in Nazareth before 1920 .

The Southern Baptist ( Southern Baptist Convention ) sent 1,923 more missionaries to Palestine. Other congregations emerged, including in Jerusalem (1925) and Haifa (1936).

Since 2001 the Baptists in Israel have maintained a partnership with the British Baptist Union.

Theological orientation

The Baptists in Israel belong to the conservative evangelical wing of the Baptist movement. Eschatological themes determine the preaching and teaching very much. The Jerusalem community is charismatic .

Organization and statistics

The Association of Baptist Churches in Israel sees itself as a national alliance of largely autonomous congregations. She takes on tasks that are beyond the resources of the local community. Above all, she is responsible for the foundation of new churches, the further training of voluntary and full-time employees as well as for the sponsorship of diaconal projects. The Association runs a twelve-grade school in Nazareth.

The ABCI is a member of the European Baptist Federation and the World Baptist Federation .

In 2004 the ABCI included 19 autonomous communities with around 2000 members (excluding children and friends). The communities are made up of different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. The Arabic language prevails in 13 communities and Hebrew in two communities . In addition, two Spanish- speaking congregations and one Filipino congregation belong to the Israeli Baptist Union.

The majority of Baptists in Israel live in Galilee .

literature

  • Albert W. Wardin, Jr .: Baptists Around the World. A comprehensive handbook . Broadman & Holman, Nashville TN 1995, ISBN 0-8054-1076-7 .
  • American Baptist Association (Ed.): Yearbook of the North American Baptist Association 2004 . The Association, Little Rock AR.

See also

Web links