Association of Baptist Churches in Israel
Encyclopedia
The Association of Baptist Churches in Israel (ABCI) is a Baptist
association of churches in Israel
.
Shukri Musa, the maternal grandfather of Edward Said
, who was baptized by George Truett at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas
, was the first known modern Baptist to enter Israel (then the British Mandate of Palestine). He arrived in 1911, with the support of the Illinois Baptist State Association, and began in Zefat, where he baptized his first convert. He later founded a church in Nazareth
. The Southern Baptist Convention
sent missionaries in 1923. A congregation was established in Jerusalem in 1925, and another in Haifa
in 1936. In 2001, the Association of Baptist Churches established a "twinning" agreement with the Baptist Union of Great Britain
, which is promoted by the organizations as "a means to support each other in prayer, developing ministry, mutual benefit from the experience of the other, fellowship and encouragement.
The churches of the ABC are conservative in their theology. They oppose the practice of women pastors. Due to their circumstances, individual churches often emphasize their positions on the Old and New Covenant
s. The Jerusalem Church, having suffered the original body adopting charismatic practices, emphasize their stand on spiritual gifts. Premillennialism
is the predominant eschatological belief, though some are adopting Amillennialism
.
In 2004, the ABCI had 19 congregations with about 2000 members. The congregations are ethnically and linguistically diverse, with 13 Arabic-speaking, two Hebrew-speaking, two Spanish, one Filipino, and one Russian. The majority of Baptist believers live in Galilee. Chairman of ABC board is Mr. Fuad Haddad. Treasurer from Association is Bader Mansour, the owner and general manager from Nazareth Data Quest a technology provider corporation.In June 2006,the ABC elected a new chairman:Mr. Monther Naum,a nutrition engineer from Shefa-Amr.
A "K-12" school (founded 1949), which is housed near the Evangelical Baptist Church at Nazareth, is related to the organization .The Nazareth Baptist school was rated lately as the 7th school nationally in the percentage of excellent students in the matriculation exam.The general director of the school is Botrus Mansour, and the principal is Dr.Ousama Moalem.see www.nbs.org.il.
The leading Baptist church is the local Baptist church-Nazareth. The Association of Baptist Churches is a member of the European Baptist Federation
and the Baptist World Alliance
.
In addition to the churches of the ABCI, there were two churches in Israel affiliated with the American Baptist Association
(1 each in Jerusalem and Ramallah) and one Reformed Baptist
church near Tel Aviv
. Christians make up about 2% of the religious affiliation in Israel, and Baptists are only a small part of that. Yet, the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel is the largest individual evangelical body in Israel. The majority religion is Jewish - about 80%.
In 2006, ABC initiated the establishment of the Nazareth Centre for Christian studies and asked Dr.James Bryson Arthur from Scotland to lead it. A majority of Israel's Baptists live in the Galilee
.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
association of churches in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Shukri Musa, the maternal grandfather of Edward Said
Edward Said
Edward Wadie Saïd was a Palestinian-American literary theorist and advocate for Palestinian rights. He was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University and a founding figure in postcolonialism...
, who was baptized by George Truett at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, was the first known modern Baptist to enter Israel (then the British Mandate of Palestine). He arrived in 1911, with the support of the Illinois Baptist State Association, and began in Zefat, where he baptized his first convert. He later founded a church in Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
. The Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
sent missionaries in 1923. A congregation was established in Jerusalem in 1925, and another in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
in 1936. In 2001, the Association of Baptist Churches established a "twinning" agreement with the Baptist Union of Great Britain
Baptist Union of Great Britain
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, despite its name, is the association of Baptist churches in England and Wales. -History:...
, which is promoted by the organizations as "a means to support each other in prayer, developing ministry, mutual benefit from the experience of the other, fellowship and encouragement.
The churches of the ABC are conservative in their theology. They oppose the practice of women pastors. Due to their circumstances, individual churches often emphasize their positions on the Old and New Covenant
New Covenant
The New Covenant is a concept originally derived from the Hebrew Bible. The term "New Covenant" is used in the Bible to refer to an epochal relationship of restoration and peace following a period of trial and judgment...
s. The Jerusalem Church, having suffered the original body adopting charismatic practices, emphasize their stand on spiritual gifts. Premillennialism
Premillennialism
Premillennialism in Christian end-times theology is the belief that Jesus will literally and physically be on the earth for his millennial reign, at his second coming. The doctrine is called premillennialism because it holds that Jesus’ physical return to earth will occur prior to the inauguration...
is the predominant eschatological belief, though some are adopting Amillennialism
Millennialism
Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
.
In 2004, the ABCI had 19 congregations with about 2000 members. The congregations are ethnically and linguistically diverse, with 13 Arabic-speaking, two Hebrew-speaking, two Spanish, one Filipino, and one Russian. The majority of Baptist believers live in Galilee. Chairman of ABC board is Mr. Fuad Haddad. Treasurer from Association is Bader Mansour, the owner and general manager from Nazareth Data Quest a technology provider corporation.In June 2006,the ABC elected a new chairman:Mr. Monther Naum,a nutrition engineer from Shefa-Amr.
A "K-12" school (founded 1949), which is housed near the Evangelical Baptist Church at Nazareth, is related to the organization .The Nazareth Baptist school was rated lately as the 7th school nationally in the percentage of excellent students in the matriculation exam.The general director of the school is Botrus Mansour, and the principal is Dr.Ousama Moalem.see www.nbs.org.il.
The leading Baptist church is the local Baptist church-Nazareth. The Association of Baptist Churches is a member of the European Baptist Federation
European Baptist Federation
The European Baptist Federation is a federation of 51 Baptist associations and is one of six regional fellowships in the Baptist World Alliance. The EBF was founded in Ruschlikon, Switzerland, in 1949. It lays a great deal of emphasis on human rights, religious liberty and aid programs. The...
and the Baptist World Alliance
Baptist World Alliance
The Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...
.
In addition to the churches of the ABCI, there were two churches in Israel affiliated with the American Baptist Association
American Baptist Association
The American Baptist Association , formed in 1924, is an association of nearly 2,000 theologically conservative churches that are Landmark Baptist in their missions and teachings...
(1 each in Jerusalem and Ramallah) and one Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptists are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology. They can trace their history through the early modern Particular Baptists of England. The first Reformed Baptist church was formed in the 1630s...
church near Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. Christians make up about 2% of the religious affiliation in Israel, and Baptists are only a small part of that. Yet, the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel is the largest individual evangelical body in Israel. The majority religion is Jewish - about 80%.
In 2006, ABC initiated the establishment of the Nazareth Centre for Christian studies and asked Dr.James Bryson Arthur from Scotland to lead it. A majority of Israel's Baptists live in the Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
.
Literature
- Albert William Wardin, Junior: Baptists Around the World.
- American Baptist Association (Hrsg.): Yearbook 2004.