A large percentage of Messianic congregations in Israel meet in rented halls, and sometimes, often on more than one occasion, their leaders and members encounter situations where they have to move, come to grips with the upheaval the change brings and adapt themselves to a new reality; whether it be temporary or permanent.
Few congregations in the country actually purchase the properties in which they hold their activities. Kehilat HaDerech in Karmiel is included in a large group of Messianic congregations that meet in a hired venue. In the last two months, most of Kehilat HaDerech’s 160 members have had no choice but to wander and have resorted to meeting in parks and also meeting in the building owned by Katzir Asher (Harvest of Asher) congregation in Akko.
Kehilat HaDerech has been able to rent a spacious venue which will accommodate the growth rate and variety of activities and demographics of the community, especially their 50 children, but they struggled to find this suitable property before the end of the lease of the previous property where they have met for the last 11 years. As a result, there is an overlap and the new meeting place is not ready for them to move in yet.
Liron Shani, one of Kehilat HaDerech’s pastors explains:
“In the past two years we have invested great effort in the search for a building we could purchase, but we had difficulty in raising the necessary funds to do so. So we started looking for a suitable property to rent. Availability of buildings in Karmiel is limited and one of the companies which owns many properties, refused to work with us because we are Messianic. Finally we found a building that is under construction and the owner signed a long-term contract with us. The date of the end of the lease on the old building was the end of May 2016. As the new building will only be ready this fall, we tried to extend the lease at the previous building by a few months. Unfortunately, the owner had already rented out the building to someone else and the new lessee would have let us stay in the building on the condition that we signed for an entire year. Seeing as we could not afford to pay rent twice and we could not persuade him to rent it to us for a shorter period of time, we left the building at the end of May.”
In the meantime, Kehilat HaDerech finds itself homeless.
Liron adds:
“Since the beginning of June, we have been practically nomadic; a wandering and homeless community. Congregation Katzir Asher in Akko approached us and offered us the use of their building for our gatherings. Since our service times are different, there has been no time-conflict between the two communities meeting at the same place. We are grateful to God for Guy Cohen, the pastor of Katzir Asher congregation and its members for opening their homes, hearts and wallets to support us in such a generous way and providing us with a true oasis in the time of our wandering. In the past two months we have split up our meetings; having 2 to 3 meetings each month in the Akko congregational building, one monthly gathering in one of the parks in Karmiel and one monthly gathering in small groups in different congregation members’ homes.”
It’s no simple thing when it comes to a long-established congregation, with many members and multiple activities. How does it affect the life of the congregation?
“The wandering has not been easy. Although there are challenging experiences and an atmosphere of adventure that comes with them, it is evident that it is tiring and making it difficult for people to attend meetings. When we meet in Akko, we hire a bus to transport people; and many members of the congregation who have a car volunteer to transport their friends. The traveling makes it difficult especially for the older congregants and families with toddlers, who often prefer to avoid long road trips. However, we are witnessing a joint cooperation of the congregants, showing mutual care and concern for each other, helping each other out and it gladdens our hearts. The meetings in the park require a lot more logistic organization. It also requires a compromise, since it’s harder to keep an eye on children and we cannot use sound amplification. Also air conditioning in the park is not very effective in the month of August,” he adds with a smile.
Despite the complexity and difficulties, the congregational leaders offer words of encouragement saying:
“The small groups meeting in homes are very special and enable a different kind of bonding and fellowship, which greatly contributes to the life of the congregation.”
Are fewer people coming to the main services?
“Indeed there is a noticeable decline reflected in the number of people attending every Shabbat due to the traveling. We are in contact with most members of the congregation and attentive to their different needs and thank God for this opportunity and look forward to entering our new premises soon.”
What do you do about congregational activities during the week?
“Activities of the congregation during the week remain almost unchanged. Congregational staff members have been working from home; various staff meetings have taken place as usual in one of the pastor’s homes, prayer meetings and house group meetings have continued to take place on a regular basis. The office has been moved to the home of two members of the congregational staff, and in fact work has continued quite normally by the grace of God.”
Why did you want to move to another building anyway?
“We started meeting in our previous congregation building in 2005 with a long-term contract. The building was a source of true blessing for our congregation and we enjoyed it very much for 11 years. Over time, our community grew substantially and we felt that the place was no longer meeting all our needs. The assembly hall was getting a little crowded, there were not enough Shabbat School classes and we didn’t have enough office space during the week either; also, there was no “Safe room” in case of emergency which is demanded by law; but, the biggest drawback was the lack of a playground for children. The building itself was on a busy street and we had concerns about the premises being so close to the road. “
As mentioned already, members of Kehilat HaDerech considered purchasing a property, but for financial reasons have not been able to attain this goal. Liron goes on to describe:
“Indeed we have considered and are still considering purchasing a permanent place and we would very much like to do so, but it is not economically viable at this stage. The new lease is long-term, but there is an agreement where every few years, we have the possibility of ending the contract sooner without incurring penalties; in the event that we will be able to purchase a building suitable for our needs. Ultimately, the congregation consists of people and not bricks and despite the many advantages that a permanent structure provides, we have learned over the years to rely on God and trust Him to provide what we really need, and indeed, in all the years of our existence as a community, we have never been disappointed. So, we are happy to keep wandering, following after the Lord wherever He leads us … “
Liron also makes it clear that the relationship with the owner of the building where they spent over a decade has always been good, and remains so, despite everything.