Arsonists torch Jerusalem Church
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October 25, 2007
Arsonists torch Jerusalem Church
By Scott Presson
Police are searching for arsonists who set fire to a church in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
According to CNS News dot com, three fires were set inside the sanctuary of The Baptist House in central Jerusalem, burning furniture and leaving mostly smoke damage. Untouched by the fire was a large banner hung in the sanctuary declaring God's promise to give "beauty for ashes."
Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said only that police are "looking in all directions for suspects."
Joseph Broom, the business manager for the Baptist Convention in Israel which owns the building said two English-speaking Christian congregations and two Messianic Jewish congregations (one Hebrew speaking and one Russian speaking) share the building, with about 500 congregants altogether.
“Since the church's new sanctuary opened in 1992, there have been a few minor incidents of vandalism but otherwise the church has "very good relations" with the community, Broom said”. Twenty five years ago, the church was targeted by Jewish religious extremists.
“Messianic Jewish congregations have had some trouble. (Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah. They are sometimes rejected and persecuted and viewed as traitors by other Jews.)”
‘Pastor Victor Blum said anonymous threats have been directed at the Russian-speaking Messianic congregation "for many years." Leaflets printed in Russian and Hebrew showing Blum's picture and that of his wife and several congregants were distributed in the neighborhood, warning Israelis of this "dangerous sect" that is converting Jews to Christianity, Blum said’.
“Ofer Amitai, pastor of the Hebrew-speaking Messianic Jewish congregation, said if Tuesday's attack was arson, "then it's like spiritual terrorism and it's not going to work. Our victory over this is to keep going," he said”.
“Charles Kopp, pastor of one of the English-speaking Baptist congregations, sees a "silver lining" in the fire. The church would receive a facelift, he said, and the church is getting a lot of support from its neighbors”.
"Even the next-door-neighbor synagogue has offered their help and support," said Kopp.
“Gideon Mamroth is from that synagogue. "It hurts me," he said of the fire. "It's very bad that this happened." He said he is not bothered by the presence of Messianic Jewish congregations at the church”.
“The Anti-Defamation League in Jerusalem strongly condemned the arson attack as an "apparent hate crime."
"We urged authorities to do everything in their power to protect all religious sites and see that the perpetrators of the crime are brought to justice," said Jerusalem spokesman, Arieh O'Sullivan in a statement”.
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