Israel (MNN) — What comes to mind when you think of Christian churches in Israel? Many Americans picture Messianic Jewish congregations made up of Hebrew speakers. Eric Mock with the Slavic Gospel Association says few people think of Israel’s Russian speaking population.
“That ranges, depending on location, anywhere from 15 to 25 percent of the population,” he says.
Mock says one of the joys for SGA is serving the Russian-speaking Jewish churches that the Lord is raising up there. On a recent trip to Israel, he met with Christian leaders and pastors.
“I was blessed to meet with people that I dearly love, and they are pastoring and leading small churches: sometimes meeting in the basement of buildings in industrial parks,” he says.
Word about their growing faith community is spread person-to-person.
“They were discouraged because they are pastoring small churches,” Mock says, and he responded by telling them, “That’s not a bad thing. It’s a beautiful thing.”
He exhorted pastors to focus less on church growth and more on disciple making, pointing them to Matthew 16:18, in which Christ instructs Peter that God is the one who builds His church.
“In these small churches, there were too many times that they were trying to force a Western, big church model into their little churches and not celebrate what God was doing in their midst,” Mock says.
Several of the congregants in these congregations are refugees from Ukraine. Understandably, the church members have differing opinions regarding the ongoing conflict. Added to this is occasional rocket fire from Gaza and threats of aggression by Iran, not to mention language and cultural barriers among Israeli neighbors. While Mock acknowledges the unique challenges faced by Russian and Ukrainian believers, he says in Israel they are developing a third culture, one with Slavik and Jewish influence. Ultimately, the solution is simple.
“They have found unity in Christ,” Mock says.
It’s a mix that reflects the early church and a principle that mirrors the Messiah.
“His death and resurrection have redeemed a people for his own possession and so in that context, where you have cultural factors, international factors, and factors of war and all kinds of things, they have found peace in being a small gathering of believers who gather together to worship Christ and be a family.”
Praise the Lord for his faithfulness in uniting Russian and Ukrainian believers in Israel. Pray that their congregations would continue to grow in faith, unity, and love.
Footer photo courtesy of Unsplash; header photo courtesy of Pixabay
