Friday, September 10, 1999
Southern Baptists want Jews to convert
Campaign coincides with Rosh Hashana
BY HANNA ROSIN
The Washington Post
The nation's largest Protestant denomination has launched an aggressive campaign aimed at converting Jews to Christianity, with the publication of a prayer book that Jewish leaders describe as insulting.
The Southern Baptist International Mission Board timed the release of the guide to coincide with the Jewish holidays beginning this evening. The booklet offers tips on how to evangelize Jews during the 10 days.
“Pray each day for Jewish individuals you know,” it suggests to the denomination's 15.6 million members. “Build authentic friendships with Jewish people. Love them as you would an unsaved relative.”
“We'd like a little less love and a little more respect,” responded Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. “I'm quite astonished by this action on their part,” said Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman, president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Clifton. “They're free at any time to pray for whatever they want. But here you have, on the holiest days of the Jewish year, a blatant attempt to destroy the very faith that is being observed on those days.
“I would suggest to the Southern Baptists to take care of their own souls on these days and try to be the best Christians they can be and let us be the best Jews we can be.”
While acknowledging that the prayer book might seem “wrongheaded” or “arrogant” to some, Southern Baptists said the Bible is clear: Christ's followers must share the gospel with non-Christians. Two years ago, the Southern Baptists issued a Ramadan prayer guide aimed at converting Muslims. But they view Jews as their most important audience.
“Jesus stated clearly that his followers were to begin their witness to him in Jerusalem, the heartland of the Jews,” said Don Kammerdiener, executive vice president of the International Mission Board. “Obedient Christians have no choice except to invite Jews and all other peoples to come to faith in Christ.”
Unlike other denominations, the Southern Baptists have never called a truce with Jews where conversion is concerned.
The success of the conversion strategy rests on two assumptions. First, the guide book implies the majority of Jews are secular or atheist. Second, the book attempts to dispel what one Southern Baptist called the “myth” that one can't be Jewish and accept Jesus as the messiah.
“When you become a Christian, you become more of a Jew,” said spokesman Mark Kelly. “It's not a genocide. It's a fulfillment.”
Enquirer reporter Julie Irwin contributed to this article.
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