NEWS FROM ISRAEL

Baruch Maoz, December 29, 2003

Friends have requested an update on the progress of our building project, including details of our financial state. What follows is an effort to provide the required information, with a short history of the project.

We are repeatedly stunned with God's goodness to us. Contrary to our expectations, a building permit was accorded us upon our first application, with no need to resort to the courts. Based on previous experience, we expected opposition, yet, as honesty would require, we were very frank as to who we are and what we wish to build. When we first submitted the plans, the municipal Engineer told us, "We will never give you the permit you require". A mere twenty minutes after we answered the Licensing Committee's questions and left the room for the Committee to deliberate, a beaming municipal Engineer came out of the meeting room, stretched out his hand and said, "Congratulations. We have granted you the permit"!

WHY BUILD WHEN YOU CAN BUY A SUITABLE FACILITY?

To be honest, we never intended to buy land and build. Our preference was to find a suitable building, or part of a building, that could meet our needs while fitting into the zoning
restrictions. This would save expenses, time and energies, allowing us to get on with the real business of congregational life and witness. No suitable location was to be found anywhere in our area, although we surveyed the area far and wide. We considered a movie house, but it was so dilapidated and the asking price was so high, we turned elsewhere. We looked at a series of office and light industrial buildings, but none were suitable except those in areas whose zoning restrictions did not allow for congregational activity of any kind.

Finally, we were offered substantial financial help for the purchase of land, following which we purchased some 3/4 of an acre in a mixed commercial and industrial area in the epicentre of the region from which our congregants come. The brother who assisted us, the late Mr. Bob van Kampen from the USA, sold a valuable property and gifted us with the proceeds: $360,000. The land was purchased when the prices were depressed by some 20%.

LEGAL AND JUDICIAL MATTERS

Our building permit was strenuously contested by an Orthodox anti-missionary organization (Yad Le’Achim), who enlisted one of the neighbours in support. They enlisted one of the country’s top lawyers, known in some circles for his unscrupulous tactics and aggression, and the support of a neighbour who had vested interests in opposing our presence in the area. But God made the purportedly wise to become fools: they pressed charges against ourselves and against the local municipality, forcing the municipality to side with us. Together, although on very different grounds and for very different reasons, we defended the permit.

Judge Giladi, the newly appointed President of the Southern Judicial Region, soundly rejected the litigation, castigating them for an effort at religious discrimination and insisting that Israel was a democracy. He then accorded us more than we could ask for by ruling that Grace and Truth Christian Congregation was "free to use the property bought and the facility to be built on it for all the purposes of their congregation life". When Yad LeAchim appealed the ruling to the national High Court, they were defeated again and now have no further legal recourse. As a result, a legal precedent has been established which will now serve other congregations in Israel. Meanwhile, efforts to rouse the local populace against us have failed completely.

THE FIRST LARGE CONTRIBUTION FOR THE BUILDING

While in the process of constructing our first website, we asked friends to look over the site and offer comment. An e-mail arrived: someone had seen the site and informed us that he intended to make "a significant contribution" to our building fund. He requested that we confirm that Grace and Truth is a registered charity, and that we provide the relevant information. What is a sizeable contribution - $5,000? $10,000? $20,000?

It was Wednesday. We wrote back, confirming our status, provided the information and inquired as to the identity of our proposed benefactor, so we could thank him. The response arrived on Thursday: "It is none of your business who we are, we are sending $800,000 to help you with your building". On Friday, an excited bank clerk called, "Mr. Maoz, Mr. Maoz …"I know", Baruch responded. "Yes, but eight hundred thousand!" she exclaimed. To this day, we have no idea who sent the money. Our benefactor has asked to remain anonymous and we will respect his wish. Since then he has sent another $200,000. If he ever reads this report, we here extend to him our hearty thanks.

With the money now on hand, we hired an architect to design the building and a constructor to complete the shell. We had begun engineering the building when a combination of economic and security factors threatened to bring things to a standstill. Two contracted companies collapsed, taking some of our money with them, though the loss was relatively small because we had taken the precaution of having bank guarantees issued for money paid.

THE WORLD ENLISTS ON OUR BEHALF

Meanwhile, a group of friends from the Gereformeerde Gementeen in the Netherlands banded together in the company of Christians from other denominations and formed the Isaac da Costa Fund. Members of the body devoted valuable time and energy, churches, schools and Christian businessmen contributed, children bicycled from Paris to a small city in the Netherlands in order to collect funds – they even took a sizeable loan to enable us to build! As
a result, we were able to continue construction. These brethren have contributed greatly to the project and their continued support has sometimes spelled the difference between either continuing construction or bringing it to a standstill.

A supporting body in Finland sent repeated sizeable contributions (in all, some $50,000), a widow established a fund for the project and asked that her husband's memory be honoured by having contributions sent to it. Over $25,000 were collected by this means. Sunday schools have collected pennies week by week and then sent the proceeds. A church in Media Pennsylvania ran a rummage sale. A family in Birmingham, Alabama, took us to heart and is seeking to raise funds. So far, they have collected another $25,000. A lady in the Netherlands bequeathed us with $5,000 and a sister in Britain has embroidered bookmarks, sold them and sent us the proceeds and other sacrificial gifts. Examples like this could be multiplied.

In addition, volunteers arrived from Holland, the USA and Korea. Isaac da Costa sent Pieter Maeir and family to serve as Site Manager. After six months, when Pieter’s time was up, the church in Media sent Rebecca Taggart to serve in his stead for eight months. Both bodies covered all the expenses involved. A German organization, Hilfe Fuer Brueder (HfB) sent a team, which laid all the sewage, drainage and water pipes in the building. With the aid of Evangeliumdienst fur Israel, another German organization, HfB also covered the team's expenses, including tools and materials, and left a large part of what was necessary to hire a contractor who is presently installing sewage, drainage and water piping on the site. A Dutch tiling company has volunteered to provide most of the tiling needed for our floors and walls and to lay these in the course of the coming months. Another Dutch company is considering the amount of hardwood it might gift or help us purchase at reduced prices and friends in Finland are looking into the possibility as well.

PROGRESS ACHIEVED

Steady income from these and other smaller sources have enabled us to hire three congregants on a full time basis. The three are on the site daily, plastering, wiring, building, bringing us forward as fast as means for the purchase of materials are available. Another congregant is now installing some of the electrical wiring, utilizing his free time and the assistance of others in the church. Since this part of the work is labour-intensive, he will enable us to reduce our costs by a significant percentage.

Steady progress is being made. The skeleton of the building has been completed, except the dome, which is now being engineered after we received municipal permission to build it. The basement has 80% of the first (and most important) stage of plastering completed and the ground floor is about 50% completed. The site has been enclosed with a decorative fence that lacks only finishing touches, and the basic site work is completed.

THE FUTURE

We have not been able to clad the building and thereby protect it from the ravages of the winter but will undertake that part of the work as soon as we are able. A considerable number of congregants volunteer their time on the site, further reducing our costs. We expect the floor tiling to be laid by the end of March 2004. A master carpenter is willing to volunteer his services for a small stipend and to carry out most of the carpentry if we set up a carpentry shop on site, which would considerably reduce our costs. Other teams of carpenters have indicated their interest in volunteering some weeks. Volunteer cabinet makers are being sought while another friend in the Netherlands is in contact with a window manufacturer who may be willing to provide us with some of the decorative windows. A competent electrician would also be a welcome volunteer with ample work to do.

Some of the major jobs that still need to be done are cladding the building, installing the air conditioning and heating units, manufacturing the cabinetry and the woodwork, installing the skylight, dome and windows, and purchase of some of the machinery. Final site work and landscaping will await the completion of the major work inside, but is also a considerable part of the project.

FINANCIAL REALITIES

Over the last five months, for an approximate total outlay of $150,000, we have been able to reduce our expected costs by some $300,000.. A similar savings will probably not be possible with some aspects of the work yet ahead of us: the dome and skylight must be manufactured and installed by a professional firm. The cladding of the building must be done by a highly qualified professional. The heating and air conditioning units will cost a good deal regardless of how much work we invest in preparing for it. Windows and doors are an expensive item, although we hope to be able to manufacture our own doors if the master carpenter will indeed volunteer his services and if his time will allow us this further savings.

One of the problems we have had to face is the persistent drop in the value of the US Dollar (in 2003, by some 7.5%), plus an irrational increase in national construction costs. We are facing a strange situation: due to deflation and the lack of construction workers (who are not allowed in from the Palestinian areas): the cost of construction is rising and companies are unable to fulfil their contracts. Consequently, many of them are collapsing. The engineering company we engaged for the project is a case in point. It was one of the largest and most stable in Israel, yet it folded. This raises the costs of construction still further and creates a situation in which we are running against time in order to avoid having the project costs run still further beyond our reach.

According to the estimates given to us by our project manager we are short by some $1,300,000 (plus 18% Value Added Tax) to complete the project. Of this sum we have $100,000 on hand. Another $100,000 are committed to contractors engaged in various stages of construction. If all the finances needed were available, the project could probably be completed in six months and at a somewhat reduced price. As it is, we progress on the basis of funds and volunteers available, doing everything possible to reduce the costs to minimum without compromising quality. We hope and pray that the building will serve for generations to come. We must therefore not compromise the long term for the short by using cheap, low quality materials. An additional $200,000 plus VAT will be needed to fit the building.

A BROADER IMPACT

This project has been a lengthy one, but it has made a lasting affect on the life of the church. People are encouraged to see help extended to us from abroad, often sacrificially, and have been moved to sacrifice as well. Although most of our congregants are immigrants with low-paid jobs, many are unemployed and others have had their income significantly reduced this year, and although we have 23 single-parent families and only one among us is self-employed, the church gives generously and is actively engaged in evangelism, reaching out to our Arab brethren and forwarding biblical and theological education in Israel. In addition, this year (2003), the church contributed approximately $25,000 to the construction project in addition to their volunteer work.

The legal battles God has allowed us to win and progress in construction through the generosity of friends have emboldened other churches in the country to aspire to visibility among our people rather than the customary low profile that has traditionally weakened our witness. We are engaged in more than constructing a building, which is why the Orthodox oppose us so vigorously. For your prayers and loving interest we thank you. Pray on, and may God be glorified in all we do together!

Grace and Truth produces monthly financial and periodic progress reports. If any of our readers wishes to have both or either of these on a regular basis, please write to maozsec@attglobal.net .

THE CHURCH

A long-term congregant had informed us some months ago that he was leaving the congregation and taking his family with him. This brother has come to tell us that he has changed his mind, and he has now enlisted himself in the service of the church by volunteering his professional abilities to the building project.

Four are being prepared for baptism. There is an atmosphere of excitement as we prepare to receive Pastor Walter Chantry and his wife, Joie, for five weeks in January/February. Pastor Chantry will be teaching a course in our Training Program. The Young Adults have decided to ask Walter to speak at their own conference, to which other Christian friends will be invited.

The church has agreed on a procedure to begin seeking out Baruch’ s pastoral replacement – no small matter for us. We welcome recommendations from friends who know of Reformed Baptists with pastoral experience, an interest in work among the Jews and some Jewish ancestry (the latter is necessary to enable the candidate to settle in Israel). Such a candidate would need to wholeheartedly affirm the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, including its view of the Law. We are looking for someone who will take us forward, broaden the scope of our ministry and facilitate the training of others for the service of the Gospel. To that end we prefer that he be theologically trained in a conservative and evangelical institute of theological education.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

On December 31st I will have been 60 years old. I look back with thankful amazement at God’s goodness. My body tells me that I’ve not mistaken my birth date, but my mind and my heart tell me otherwise. On this occasion I wish to embrace my many friends and thank them for their love, trust and friendship, for their prayers and for their goodwill. God’s blessing of our labours here are unquestionably the fruit of those prayers.

Travel to the USA

In the spring of 2004 Bracha and I expect to be in the USA. Their itinerary includes Cincinnati, Seattle, San Francisco, a short break in Yellowstone, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Colorado Springs, Fredericksburg in Virginia, Washington DC, New York and Carlisle. We still have a few days free in some of these locations. Churches interested in having the Maoz’s visit them are kindly asked to write ASAP to maozsec@attglobal.net.

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