Founded in 1809 with William Wilberforce in a key leadership role and the Clapham Sect providing credibility, the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews (LSCJ) established chapters in all the Jewish population centers in Great Britain. From their missionary training center, workers were sent to the great Jewish population centers of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa over the next decades. Later, the name was changed to (and remains) the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ).
In those early days, CMJ’s calling was to be a witness to Jewish people everywhere, but especially to reignite a witness to the Jewish population of what was then the Ottoman territory of Palestine. CMJ established their work there in 1833, followed in 1841 by planting Christ Church Jerusalem, an Anglican congregation that continues its witness inside Jerusalem’s Old City to this day.
Now a mission society of the Anglican Church (worldwide), and a ministry partner of the Anglican Church in North America, CMJ USA works in Canada and the USA, where it is well placed to share the good news of Jesus the Jewish Messiah with the 45% of the world’s Jewish population who reside in North America.
Today, CMJ operates branches in seven countries around the world, each reflecting a three-fold emphasis that has been at the core of CMJ’s identity for decades.
- Evangelism…sharing the gospel with Jewish people—with respect and sensitivity.
- Education…teaching—wherever we are invited, making disciples of Messiah Jesus with increased understanding of the Jewish roots of their faith.
- Encouragement…advocating for Jewish believers in Jesus—helping them find their place in the Church and their Jewish world. When Jewish people come to faith they do not cease to be Jewish.
CMJ in North America lives out the same three-fold ministry. Our calling is to equip the church. We visit parishes that desire to know better their Jewish roots. We equip local parishes to share Messiah Jesus with their Jewish friends and neighbors. We are especially committed to Anglican parishes that are located in or near Jewish neighborhoods and desire more effective outreach. We have outreach partnerships with congregations in five cities, and plans are underway to add another four. If your congregation is in a Jewish neighborhood, this may be a calling for you.
CMJ Israel maintains its Anglican witness in Jerusalem and throughout Israel, with 145 staff members working in ten ministries, including several schools, guest houses and Shoresh study tours. At least 20,000 Israelis (both Jew and Arab) visit the CMJ compound in the Old City each year with remarkable curiosity. It is our sacred privilege to tell them about Yeshua the Jewish Messiah, and invest in the spiritual rebirth of Jewish people.
To learn more about CMJ and how you can share its mission, contact:
USA: The Rev. Cn. Daryl Fenton, CMJ-USA, P.O. Box 443, Ambridge, PA 15003; Info@cmj-usa.org
Canada: The Rev. Sharon Hayton, CMJ-Canada, #28-300 Six Mile Road, Victoria, BC V9B 5Y3; cmjcanada7@gmail.com
