-Interview-

Russ Resnik: "I found Yeshua, or rather He found me, as a young hippie in the remote mountains of New Mexico over 30 years ago..."

Our guest is Russ Resnik, General Secretary of the Union Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC)

Dear Russ, please tell us about 25-th annual conference of UMJC which took place in June 30 - July 3 in Boston, MA (USA)

- The Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) is an affiliation of congregations dedicated to expressing faith in Jesus, or Yeshua, as Messiah within the context of Jewish values and tradition. Nearly one thousand Messianic Jews and supporters from around the world gathered at Boston’s historic Park Plaza Hotel, June 30-July 3, for our twenty-fifth annual conference. The conference theme of Shalom Bayit—“Seek peace and pursue it” dealt with unity in the family, the congregation, and the community.

The conference opened on Wednesday night, June 30, with music by well-known local musician Steve McConnell and presentations by UMJC leaders. It continued with a full schedule of seminars, and plenary sessions featuring, internationally renowned Messianic Jewish singer-songwriter, Marty Goetz, and Israeli Messianic leader Avi Mizrachi. The conference also included full youth and children’s programs.

We heard from a Messianic Jewish brother from Poland, who has coordinated humanitarian aid for hundreds of thousands of Eastern European Jews. He brings together Christians and Jews to help rescue impoverished Jews, and UMJC congregations have contributed to his ministry over the years.

Coach Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers, made a guest appearance to announce his new ministry, The Road to Jerusalem. Coach McCartney is calling Christians to express their love for Israel and the Jewish people by standing with the Messianic Jewish community. (Contact roadtojerusalem@aol.com for more information.)

Israeli leader Avi Mizrachi spoke on Friday night, reflecting our growing relationship with the Israeli Messianic community. Avi said that if Yeshua taught us are to love our enemies, how much more must we love those of our own people who oppose the Messianic Jewish community. In Israel Messianic Jews have seen that love overcome opposition to Yeshua, and even bring Jews and Arabs together in Messiah.

On the final night of the conference, we viewed a video presentation of 25 years of UMJC history. At the end of the video, the members of one of the congregations we are helping to plant in the high-tech and academic community of Raleigh-Durham, NC, came on stage. This congregation is led and comprised largely of younger Messianic believers. They represent the future of the UMJC, a future of continuing to establish and strengthen congregations that will display the message of Yeshua within the house of Israel.

Dear Russ, what organizations represent the Messianic Jewish movement at present?

- I can't speak for all the organizations that may exist. The other large affiliation of congregations like the UMJC is the International Alliance for Messianic Congregations and Synagogues, with whom we cooperate in a number of ways. We have just launched a Joint Task Force on Anti-Semitism to respond to the growing problem of anti-Semitism around the world. The International Messianic Jewish Alliance is also involved in this effort.

Please tell about yourself and your family a little.

- I found Yeshua, or rather He found me, as a young hippie in the remote mountains of New Mexico over 30 years ago, and now I'm a grandfather! My wife, Jane, and I still live in New Mexico, but now in the city of Albuquerque, where we founded a Messianic synagogue 20 years ago. Since October 2002, I've served full time as Executive Director of the UMJC. I've also written two books, "The Root and the Branches," which tells our personal story in the context of the rebirth of Messianic Judaism, and "Gateways to Torah", a commentary on the weekly Torah readings.

07. 2004