These divisions have become a serious concern to Messianic leaders in Israel.

“We need to overcome our struggles and allow for diversity, without which we have only division,” said Marcel Rebai, a local Messianic leader and author. “Our movement is at a critical moment,” he told Israel Today. “What happens in Israel will impact the church at large. Will we become part of the healing, or just another disappointment?”

Tony Sperandeo has pastored a dynamic Messianic congregation in the center of the country for over thirty years. He is also concerned about the future of the movement. “The future of our movement depends on unity,” Sperandeo said. “Unity is more important than charismatic expressions or other debatable issues. For the sake of our witness and reaching the people of Israel with the Good News, we must be one body.”

Sperandeo believes that one reason for the divisiveness is the influence of the international Church and its various brands of Christianity on local Messianic congregations. He calls it a “new colonialism” whereby western churches are using financial support to...

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