‘Preaching about Jesus is who we are, we’re Christians,’ says God TV
Missionary channel chief says Christians are called to spread the Gospel around the world, says God TV seeks to have Jews believe Jesus is the messiah, not convert them
By JEREMY SHARONMan Watching TV(photo credit: INGIMAGE)
The head of a Christian TV channel called God TV which engages heavily in proselytizing messaging and which recently began broadcasting in Hebrew on cable television in Israel has acknowledged that his channel seeks to preach about Jesus and the gospels.In a video on Saturday explaining the missionary messaging God TV conducts in response to the publication of news that God TV had a contract with the HOT cable provider to broadcast its Shelanu TV Hebrew-language channel, CEO of God TV Ward Simpson said that teaching about Jesus was what his religion was about and the goal of his channel.“This subject about preaching about Jesus is a touchy one. We understand that and we have to be sensitive to it, but that’s what we do, that’s who we are, we’re Christians and we’re called to go to all the world and preach the gospel, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Simpson.“We just preach and teach and share Christian content and let the Lord do the rest.”Simpson also referred to so-called “Messianic Jews,” insisting that “they haven’t converted they don’t convert they just continue to live their lives as Jews, they continue to practice Judaism for the most part, they just believe that Yeshua [Jesus] is their Messiah and they follow him, but they continue all their traditions and practices.”Simpson noted that Council for Cable and Satellite Broadcasting which grants TV licenses was inclined to revoke the license it had granted to God TV but said that the channels lawyers were working hard to fight such a decision.Simpson acknowledged that Israeli law prohibits proselytizing to minors without parental permission and offering any monetary or material remuneration for converting, but insisted that God TV would not carry out such conduct.In light of that, Simpson said there was no reason for the council to shut down Shelanu TV, and praised the State of Israel for upholding freedom of expression and freedom of worship.Former Evangelical missionary Shannon Nuszen said in response that Christian supporters of Israel often profess their love for the Jewish people and deny that they have any intention to proselytize while in the Jewish state.“Yet, if you were to see these same Christians speaking in churches around America you’d hear something completely different. Among themselves, they are free to take their masks off.“When they’re seeking support from fellow Christians, they will share the work they are doing in the Holy Land, describe their tactics, and give many success stories about bringing Jews to belief in Jesus.”
