-Interview-
 
Robert Morris: "... 80% of all Jewish Believers were won to the Lord through the influence of a trusted Christian friend."
 
 
Our guest is pastor Robert Morris, director HaDavar Messianic Ministries (Irvine, CA) (www.hadavar.org)
 
 
Dear Robert, how many Jews who believe in Yeshua (Jesus) are now?
- This is a difficult question to answer precisely. The anti-missionary organization Jews for Judaism reports, "According to a 1990 Council of Jewish Federations population study, over 600,000 Jews in North America alone identify with some type of Christianity. Over the past 25 years, more than 275,000 Jews worldwide have been converted ." According to these figures there are approximately 875,000 Jewish people who believe in Jesus today, worldwide. In contrast to that statistic notice what Rabbi Toviah Singer says in his article  "Evangelizing the Jews," "It is estimated that there are more than 200,000 Hebrew-Christians in North America and Israel ."  There is quite a spread in the North American figures alone (600,00 vs. 200,000). I would guess that the lower figures would tend to be the more accurate.
 
How must Messianic Jews and Christians share the Good News with Jewish people in order to more Jews would believe in Yeshua? How do yourself share the Good News with Jews? 
- The most effective way to share the Good News with Jewish people in the United States is friendship evangelism. To the best of my knowledge, 80% of all Jewish Believers were won to the Lord through the influence of a trusted Christian friend. This does not negate other forms of evangelism, such as the use of mass media. However, the statistics indicate that a personal relationship of trust has to be established, especially in the Jewish mind, before a positive decision will be forthcoming. I believe this is the case because we in the Jewish community have experienced our share of discrimination and persecution at the hands of "so-called Christians." It takes us a while to believe that you have our best interests at heart when you present us with the Messiahship of Jesus.
 
At HaDavar Messianic Ministries we coordinate with this factor by teaching the Bible from a Jewish perspective in order to equip our students to more effectively reach their Jewish friends. It is the rank-and-file Christian who is at the "front lines" when it comes to Jewish evangelism. We exist to empower them.
 
 
About Bob Morris

Bob Morris was born October 29, 1947 in Newport, Rhode Island, the first-born son of a Jewish mother and Gentile father. He was circumcised and redeemed in accordance with Jewish law by a local Rabbi. Beyond that, however, he received no spiritual training. As a teenager, he rejected his Jewishness on a religious basis and only grudgingly admitted that his heritage was Jewish.

In 1966-67, during his sophomore year at the University of Washington, he encountered genuine Christians. Because of these contacs, he received Jesus as his personal Savior when he was 19 years old. As a result of Bible study, Bob saw that Jesus was also his promised, Holy, Jewish Messiah. At that time, he embraced his Jewishness.

Bob and Susan were married April 26, 1969, and they have two children: David born in 1971 and Jenessa born in 1974.

In December 1979, Bob met Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Director of Ariel Ministries, at a prophecy conference held at Bob's church. God used the Biblical message presented by Dr. Fruchtenbaum to convince Bob that he should be personally involved in presenting the message of Jesus the Messiah to his own Jewish people.

In May 1981, he set a new precedent by becoming Ariel's first volunteer missionary. He established the Beth Ariel Center in Seattle, Washington and for three years saw the programs at the Center effectively disciple Jewish and Gentile believers. The Center grew to the point where Bob felt called to full time missionary service.

In September 1984, Bob and his family moved to Portland, Oregon to attend Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in order to prepare for a future staff position with Ariel Ministries. He completed a Masters of Divinity program with a concentration in Jewish ministries in the Spring of 1988.

In the fall of 1989, he planted Kehilat Ha-Mashiah (Congregation of the Messiah), a Messianic Jewish congregation in Portland, OR. Bob served as the Teaching Elder for the first seven years of the congregation's existence. During that time, he watched the church grow from 15 to 140 people in attendance and saw a steady number of Jewish people come to faith in Jesus. Concurrently, he carried out responsibilities as a Bible camp director/teacher and as a conference speaker. These ministries took him across the United States as well as to Russia, Germany, and Israel.

In the fall of 1997, Bob and Susan moved to Southern California to become Ariel Ministries Executive Director. He reorganized the ministry, began and directed Ariel's Department of Missions and Training, and served as Field Representative

In March 2001, Bob began another pioneering work when he became the Director of HaDavar Messianic Ministries in Irvine, CA. HaDavar's field of service is Southern California, the second largest Jewish population center in the United States. Bob's ministry focus consists primarily of teaching the Bible from a Jewish perspective, thereby training Christians to reach their Jewish contacts effectively. He also supports evangelistic activities on college campuses as well as training local Messianic fellowships, Messianic congregations, and conventional churches.

 
10.2004
 
 
 
Jews, Christians and the Word of God