About Us

We Are Not Jews for Jesus

What is Jews for Jesus?

The name Jews for Jesus refers to a specific Christian evangelical organization founded in 1973 by a Jewish-born Baptist minister named Moishe Rosen.

Jews for Jesus is a mercenary branch of the Gentile church, funded by churches with the purpose of bringing people into churches. As an organization, Jews for Jesus trains people to use a classic Christian model of evangelism with literature and street-corner conversations to bring people into (primarily) churches.

A Little History

Throughout their short history Jews for Jesus and Messianic Judaism have been at odds. Only recently has Jews for Jesus shown some willingness to encourage new believers to consider Messianic Judaism as well as Gentile Christianity.

Jews for Jesus does politely refrain from calling itself "Messianic Jewish" with the exception of the by-line for one of its publications, Issues.

Contrasting Messianic Judaism

The Messianic Jewish movement, in contrast, is a movement of Jewish people who feel called by God to retain and develop their Jewish heritage while worshipping Yeshua in synagogues and helping their local Jewish community have the spiritual health God desires.

Messianic Judaism is a collection of synagogues that sees Torah observance, empowered by relationship with Yeshua, as the key to a meaningful relationship with the God of Israel.

To ensure accountability and provide support for Messianic Jewish congregations there are two organizations that "organize" Messianic Judaism, the MJAA and the UMJC. (Note that Messianic Judaism is not a "denomination" since congregations are more independent than places with a denomination's formal governanc).) Neither the IAMCS nor the UMJC cooperate well with Jews for Jesus.