From: "Hebraic.Heritage.Newsgroup@sol.wwwnexus.com"
<Hebraic.Heritage.Newsgroup@sol.wwwnexus.com>
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>, Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup 2 <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Re: Congregational constitution???
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 15:36:46 -0800
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From: Kathleen Marion
Subject: Re: Congregational constitution???
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com

Hebraic.Heritage.Newsgroup@sol.wwwnexus.com wrote:
>
> To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
> Subject: congregational constitution???
> From: denis i otero <hebrew101@juno.com>
>
> Eddie, greetings:
>
> My name is Pastor Denis Otero, I pastor a non-denominational
> congregation called Maranatha Bible Church. I also am Professor of
> Hebrew and Hebraic studies with Trinity Theological Seminary,
> Newburg, In., Southwest campus.
>
> In the past15 years since we have incorporated, our minisry,
> theology, and congregational life has moved from your typical
> "gentile church" towords a Messianic congregation. We minister to
> gentile and Safardic Messianic believers. We celebrate the feasts,
> do shabbat, and do'nt do christmas and easter.
>
> Now here we are so far away from our charter and bylaws that
> we need to reorganize in a more Messianic format. While we are not, a
> Messianic Synogouge, we are so not a "church" in the protestant
> understanding.
>
> I am looking for help from others who have changed their
> Bylaws, Statements of Faith, etc. to a Messianic format.
> If you have any advise, copies, or would like to pass this along,
> please feel free.
>
> shalom, shalom,
> b'shem Yeshua
> denis
>

An excellent starting place is David Stern's book Messianic Jewish Manifesto.
Our congregation has used it for the same purposes as well as many other
congregations we know of. It goes into depth on identity and expectation of
both Jewish and gentile believers.

Shaolm, KAM

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From: Judy Dykes
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: Congregational constitution???

Dearest Pastor,

My husband and I attended the Messianic Conference last year in
Pennsylvania. Do you know of this conference? It is held each year
there at the Messianic College which is really a Brethern College and
they chose it for their site because of its name and location. Also
you may obtain free for one year a paper called THE MESSIANIC TIMES,
P.O. Box 1180, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010. I have some cards for mail in
if you would like me to send in one for you. But of course you may
just write them and get the paper started. It is full of information
like you are seeking. It has names a nd places and different churches
that have begun. One computer site is www.umjc.org and a telephone
number is 781-444-0825. These are the people that organized a
Conference of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations and the
Association of Messianic Believers Washington, DC in 1998. They will
have some answers.

May God Lead you and Bless you and your congregation.
Judy M. Dykes

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From: Luana Fabry
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Re: Congregational constitution???

Luana Fabry wrote:

Shalom Denis

You are welcome to take a look at our Statement of Beliefs:

http://www.fan.net.au/~sos/sob.htm

Luana
Beit Y'shua Ministries Australia

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From: "Hoss & April LeFevere
To: <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Re: Congregational constitution???

Dear Brother,

This is probablly not the answer you were looking for, but why don't
you just open your Bible to the part where it talks about asking
Caesar's permission for a Church to exist. I don't think you'll find
it in there. What I'm getting at is that when a congregation seeks
non-profit corporation status they are putting their Church under the
authority of the State and Federal Governments. Rav Shaul avoided
financial entanglments by earning a "pay-check" outside the Church. It
may well be time to disolve your corporation and put the leadership of
the Church bak in the hands of the men of your assemblly. I understand
that this is very easy for me to suggest and very difficult for you to
execute, but I pray that you will prayerfully consider it. I would be
interested to here how things work out: lefevere@ptialaska.net. is my
e-mail adress.

May God continue to bless you and yours. I wish there was a
congregation like yours here in Fairbanks.

Love in Messiah, -------Brother Hoss V. LeFevere

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From: Vlad
Subject: Re: Congregational constitution???
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com

Perhaps you can use a "teaching or outreach" format.... my personal
suggestion is become a full fledged Messianic Synagogue but if that is
impossible at this time or impractical simply state that you are an
outreach ministry... that way you sort of keep your foot in each camp
so to speak without too strongly committing yourself. (though again I
ask myself why you would want to) My "synagogue" has done a simmilar
thing though as you can probably tell it isnt what I would have them
do.... in this manner they can still use the facilities of the
traditional sunday church that grants them space and also the more
"churchian" gentiles who are just learning and havent quite studied
enough to be comfortable fully diving into the full synagogue can
still have some familiar surroundings. Also as a teaching
congregation you can offer to put on the proper feasts for traditional
churches so that they come to understand more and more fully....we
will one day be a source of jealousy for the non believing jew as we
will have Torah and Moshiac but until the "church" gives up its pagan
roots and gets grafted back into Yisrael and becomes obediant to G-d
that will never happen... perhaps you could be an outreach not to the
unbelieving jew but rather to the apostate church bringing them more
fully into knowledge and understanding that we could then truly be a
light to the nations

hope this has helped though after re reading it Im not sure ;-) take
what will be helpful to you of this idea and disreguard the rest
untill such time as it makes sence to you.

Shalom alechim

Vlad

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