It becomes more difficult, however, if an accusation comes from a fellow believer. Recently, I received a letter from a former staff member who talked about his unhappy service with Jews for Jesus. He was calling on the Jews for Jesus organization to repent because of what he perceived to be bad actions or bad attitudes during his time of service over 20 years ago. Well, if the things that he alleged to have happened really happened, I can express my regrets and sorrow for his pain, but I can't place blame on all of my co-workers in Jews for Jesus because of a past incident.
Can an organization, an ethnic group or a city repent? The answer is yes and no. We can only repent for the wrong that we've done or the wrong that we've allowed. We can regret history but we can't repent for it. It is true that God calls nations to repent. But a nation consists of people, and individuals must decide whether or not they will repent. Leaders can sometimes help and encourage those who follow them to repent, as in the case of Nineveh, when Jonah called the city to repent and the king heeded that call. Leaders might have a greater responsibility to repent when necessary because others may follow their example, but all of us need to live in constant repentance.
(Emphasis mine)
Regarless of whether organizations or individuals can repent, it is an irrefutable fact that there are many, many people who have left the ministry of Jews for Jesus badly hurt and treated in a very un-Christian fashion.
What motiviates my participation in the Ex-Jews for Jesus blog has always been to warn believers to weigh carefully their involvement in the Jews for Jesus organization because of the way they treat their own people. Others participants on this blog have returned to Judaism, others no longer believe in anything, and some still hold to faith in Christ. I consider myself in the latter group.
David Brickner's (and the rest of the leadership by extention) response to accusations of abuse has been to say, "come to me and tell me what's wrong and I'll apologize."
This is both scriptural and correct.
However, this also provides a neat shell game that has allowed the ministry to injure and abuse its Christian staff for four decades.
Many have approached David Brickner and Moishe Rosen directly to address greivances. Yet even when apologies have been forthcoming, the day to day abuses of Jews for Jesus has never ceased.
Why?
This is the Elephant. Many people have been witness to a rotten culture where personal insults, degrading disciplinary actions and inordinate amounts of control are asserted over people. (You can read many first-hand accounts here)
The key word is "culture". Culture is an atmosphere that belongs to an organization. Culture is perpetuated by individuals, but within a culture, behaviors become permissible and provide a cover for inappropriate actions.
Attempts to address cultural issues brings one into Jews for Jesus' shell game.
Hurt by the ministry's culture? Nope, organizations don't sin, people do. Take it up with them.
So then the abused is directed to go to his branch leader and work it out.
What does that produce? Usually a "that's the way the Ministry works" response follows, which puts the responsibility back on the organization.
The leadership then can preserve the status quo and still feel justified. There is no way to change Jews for Jesus' culture until the leadship recognizes how malformed it is both as a social entity and in the model of Christian life.
Sadly, there seems to have never been any recognition of any fault with this culture. It has been my experience that there is an insularity within the leadership of Jews for Jesus which rejects any possibility of wrongdoing.
If you wish to have more information please drop your email in the comments and I'll discuss it with you.
Sorry, Jews for Jesus has at times infiltrated our email group and intentionally tried to destroy the careers of some of our participants. If you wish to dialog, please understand that we need to take precautions.
[Administrator note]
We have a Jews for Jesus staff member who regularly visits this site and harangues the commenters. Since his comments add nothing of value to the discussion, the usual course of action would be to delete the comments and ban this person. However, we believe that there is value to leaving these comments for the world to see.
15 comments:
Sadly, the culture of abuse does continue, the same party lines are followed by people in JFJ and I hear the same lines verbatim as the ones I myself said when I was a part of JFJ.
It is a great pity that the devil broke into that group to pull it down, as with any hulking monster, they simply seem to be obsessed with their own survival.
Rather than reconciliation and repentance, there is devious attempt to point fingers at how the leavers are so filled with bitterness and guile.
I am sure some are but the whole purpose of XJFJ is to facilitate healing and wholeness and restoration, something the 800lb elephant tramples all over.
Responding to Simon,
Here is something I got from my training (the party line?) and I pass it on to you verbatim (not literally). Maybe you get the same lines because you present the same attitudes, arguments and or complaints - the Ex-JfJ line, so to speak.
Think about it.
Blessings!
Wow Anonymous, you must be the smartest person you know.
-The Other Anonymous
It's strange ... some members of the Ex-Jews for Jesus cult screamed about how they wanted apologies from David Brickner and from Moishe Rosen for perceived abuse in the past. Yet when they got the apologies they'd been demanding, it turned out that wasn't enough -- the Ex-Jews for Jesus cult then said it wasn't "real reconciliation." When someone says they need an apology, get it, and then say it isn't enough, it casts suspicions on their motives and their agenda. It sends the message that maybe nothing they have to say can be trusted to truthful or accurate.
Dear OOA, did you actually read the above post? I'm serious here.
The problem with Jews for Jesus is the culture. David Brickner has personally never wronged me and I have never sought an apology.
The culture of Jews for Jesus had caused many people to become deeply injured.
The apparent contempt you show for Ex Jews for Jesus is pretty symptomatic of the problem.
I do thank you for putting your contempt on public display. It speaks to the sickness that still grips Jews for Jesus.
I thank you for trying hard to apply Orwell's "doublespeak" to the problem of JFJ acolytes speaking the same party line.
It is a pitiful and cynical attempt to shirk the responsibility of the abuses that have occurred through JFJ over the years and still occur today.
Trying to silence the abused by calling them the abuser is the same as many who call Israelis nazis in their quest to defend themselves.
Some of these Jews for Jesus are what bloggers call "Pigeons".
The come in, leave their droppings and just fly out.
Don't worry about this guy Simon. I don't know if his love extends past his UJ workload.
I pray you can find healing within the believing church.
If public display of contempt is a sign of sickness, then most of the Ex-Jews for Jesus cult needs a doctor. One doesn't even need to qualify it with the word "apparent," because it fairly leaps off the screen to land on the reader like a wet booger. If you want to convince me -- or anyone else reading this blog -- of the righteousness of your accusations and actions, then maybe you should start by ceasing to use the very sort of language, insults and accusations you claim to have received from Jews for Jesus for lo these many years. Otherwise you have no credible ground on which to stand when slinging boogers ... I mean accusations.
You're a missionary?
Never said that I was ... maybe you should stop making assumptions that everyone who responds to you is with Jews for Jesus.
Boy OOA you sure are shrill. I think you should be banned.
The pressure to conform continues. Recently, a young man who is serving w/ JFJ was pressured into leaving his GF of 2 1/2 years b/c she is not a Jewish messianic believer, but simply a Christian. They would not accept her, or the relationship. In the long run, the young man was forced to choose. It came down to his family (who all participate in the group) and JFJ - or the girl. He reluctantly chose JFJ. How do I know this?
I am she. These people controling and -dare I say - racist. a friend told me aboutthis site, and I find that I know most of this stuff from personal experience.
I am so sorry to hear this. Perhaps he will come to his senses.
It's not the first time that relationships were broken solely because one person wasn't a Jewish believer. The roots of this pressure go back to the 70's. So, not that much has changed under the new Director. It's ironic that JFJ reaches out to intermarried couples evangelistically yet its own "insider rules" look upon mixed marriages negatively.
David Brikner is apologizing for all evils done to his former people? Interesting - so Is Kip McKean - former leader of the International Church of Christ. The ex International Church of Christ people I have spoken to have very similar grievances like the ex JFJ people - they are both being labelled as Anti-Christ by the institutions they once belonged to - but it is interesting to note that Kip McKean does not recognize Moishe Rosen to be a True Christian - McKean preaches how the Apostle Peter commands us with "Whoever believes and is Baptized shall be saved." I noticed one thing about the JFJ - when I was a member - they all warned us to stay away from the International Church of Christ - in fact - JFJ people would walk away traumatized after studying the "bible" with International Church of Christ members. Why is it that two fanatical christian groups don't see eye to eye? It's simple - the "New Testament" contradicts itself. I attended International Church of Christ meetings and believe me - they make JFJ look like some Liberal pro abortion pro gay right organization. Those folks all must wake up at 5 am to read there bibles with other members and if they refuse? It's off to the pit of hell because they never were sincere when they accepted our fellow Jewish brother as G-d himself
Post a Comment