Little by little, over the past few decades but growing more and more over the past few years, a community of activists in the Christian-Jewish engagement space has developed, with people reaching out to each other to promote fraternity and humanitarian projects in and between the Christian and Jewish communities.
In 2020, the organization I run, Root Source, together with friends at Israel365, initiated Bridgebuilders: Top Activists in Christian-Jewish Engagement, honoring seventy of these trailblazers.
In this monthly column, we focus on one of these leaders, share an interview with her or him, hear how they got to where they are today, learn about some of their projects, and consider what God is doing with regard to Jewish-Christian relations.
We encourage you to reply! Leave a comment below or send us an email at bridgebuilders@root-source.com.
This month’s bridgebuilder is Chris Mitchell from CBN News, Jerusalem, Israel.
What is the main focus of your activities today?
Reporting on Israel and the Middle East
How long have you been doing that?
Since August of 2000
What are some of the successful related programs or projects that you have done this year and in past years?
The Jerusalem Dateline Weekly Program that airs in a number of countries throughout the world and on major Christian networks. Also online at: jerusalemdateline.com. Also, authored three books: Dateline Jerusalem; Destination Jerusalem and ISIS, Iran, and Israel.
How did you get to where you are today?
I believe G-d led me to this place and time.
What is your “testimony”?
When I first came to Israel in 1996, I fell in love with the land and its people. Four years later, I had the privilege to bring my wife and three children to Jerusalem to open a bureau for CBN News in August of 2000. The Second Intifada began the next month, where suicide bombings, shootings, and terror attacks became part of our everyday lives. Yet we believe G-d protected us as Psalm 91 says, “He that dwells in the shadow of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to report on the major events here in the Middle East, including the Arab Spring, the rise of ISIS, and the dramatic increase in Christian persecution. We’ve also reported on the prophetic stories of the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel and the resettlement in the Biblical lands of Judea and Samaria.
What do you think God is doing with regard to Jewish-Christian relations?
Since I came here in 2000, I’ve seen an unprecedented and historic warming of relations between Christians and the Jewish people.
