International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) Southern conference. Hosted by Pastors Mike and Ann Starbuck at Millbrook Christian Centre, Southampton, 5-6 May 2015
Speakers: Clive and Jane Urquhart, Senior Pastors of Kingdom Faith Church, Horsham, Dr David Elms, UK Director of ICEJ, Jani Salokangas, International Director of the ICEJ’s Arise movement based in Jerusalem
Do the Bible or the BBC shape your view of Israel? Do you view Israel biblically or are you more influenced by what you see and hear in the media? Or by the claim of some churchmen that a modern Jewish state is insignificant and of no prophetic value?
These questions posed in the conference programme challenged delegates before they had even heard the speeches. Dr David Elms, the ICEJ’s UK director, had asked: “What is God’s perspective? What is his attitude to the Muslim nations that would like to destroy Israel? What should Christians say when Israel is criticised? Today the Church worldwide is at a pivotal point. Will she speak out on behalf of Israel? Will she stand with the Jewish people as we approach the final events of history?”
While some readers of this paper may not share Dr Elms’s viewpoint and be undecided about human history having a closing point and have not had teaching on reading the Old Testament’s prophets and Jesus’s and Paul’s teachings as tracing a prophetic pathway through human history, the conference audience was clearly already convinced.
Clive and Jane Urquhart each brought their own perspective as church leaders who have to balance a deep revelation of God’s purposes for Israel with the needs of their congregation, who may have quite different agendas! In particular Jane spoke of the prayer intercession she is involved with for Israel as well as being a senior pastor, wife and mother of three.
Melanie Symonds
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