AMFI History

A vision is born...

In 1887, a group of Chicago-area believers were burdened for the spiritual and physical plight of new Russian Jewish immigrants. Under the leadership of W.E. Blackstone, they formed the Hebrew Christian Mission.

The goal was to help Jewish immigrants learn to thrive in their new home. In addition to teaching English and job skills, workers shared the fact that the Messiah has come, and His name is Yeshua, Jesus.

In 1889, the organization took on the name The Chicago Hebrew Mission, and as ministry developed around the country, American Messianic Fellowship became a better, more descriptive name. In 1993, the name was changed to AMF International to reflect the expansion of the work beyond the borders of the United States.

A man with a calling from God

Blackstone was born October 6, 1841 in Adams, New York, a descendant of prominent 18th Century English jurist, William Blackstone. At age 10, William came to faith in Jesus, a moment he considered a major event in his life. As his faith matured, he accepted the “dispensationalist-premillennialist” perspective, and he became convinced that the return of the Jewish people to their land would precede the coming of Christ to earth.

In 1878, Blackstone produced a 96- page book, Jesus Is Coming, which was expanded to 256 pages in subsequent editions. The book was translated into 42 languages, including Hebrew and Yiddish. The Hebrew version, Hofaat Ha-Mashiach Ha-Shin - The Second Appearance of the Messiah, was published in 1925.

Blackstone fervently taught that, according to the Bible, Israel must be restored to their land, even though it seemed unlikely in his day. Blackstone saw Israel as “God's sun-dial.” He was often quoted as saying, “If anyone desires to know our place in God’s chronology, look at Israel.”

But the Jewish people were more than a timepiece to Blackstone. Here is a sample of his writings about the Chosen People:

"But, perhaps you say: ‘I don't believe the Israelites are to be restored to Canaan, and Jerusalem rebuilt.’ Dear Reader! Have you read the declaration of God’s Word about it? Surely nothing is more plainly stated in the Scriptures. We would that we had space to quote the passages, but we can only give a portion of the reference. We beg of you to read them thoughtfully. Divest yourself of prejudice and preconceived notions, and let the Holy Spirit show you, from His Word, the glorious future of God's chosen people, “who are beloved” (Rom. 11:28), and dear unto Him as “the apple of His eye" Zach. 2:8.”

In November of 1890, Blackstone convened “The Past, Present and Future of Israel between Jews and Christians.” The result of this conference was The Blackstone Petition of 1891, which has come to be known as the Blackstone Memorial. The memorial was presented to President Benjamin Harrison on March 5, 1891, concerning Jewish persecution in Russia. Blackstone proposed an international conference with the goal of “restoring the land of Palestine to the covenant people Israel and to promote in all other just and proper ways the alleviation of their suffering condition.”

Blackstone is mentioned in the Encyclopedia Judaica as an early Christian Zionist who petitioned to seek the establishment of a Jewish homeland, but his chief desire was to see the gospel message proclaimed to Jews and Gentiles around the world.

Ministry through the years

Life in Messiah is committed to seeing God’s purpose for the Church fulfilled as Jews and Gentiles are made one through faith in Messiah Jesus by means of evangelism, discipleship, and equipping believers for effective ministry, with the priority “to the Jew first…” We accomplish this through:

1. Developing and implementing creative evangelism strategies to clearly present Jesus as God’s promised Messiah and the only provision for mankind’s salvation.
2. Strengthening existing churches or planting new churches where Jews and Gentiles are equal members of the body of Christ.
3. Helping new believers stand firm in the faith, teaching them to develop spiritual disciplines that lead to maturity.
4. Motivating and equipping God’s people to share in the task of Jewish evangelism and discipleship.
5. Challenging Christians to understand the Jewish roots of our faith and God’s purposes for Israel, and to combat anti-Semitism in all its forms.

Since 1887, we have helped Christians understand the Jewish roots of our faith and God’s ongoing commitment to His Chosen People. We teach that anti-Semitism is inconsistent with biblical faith. We “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” which includes her spiritual renewal as well as physical safety. Like Blackstone, our continuing desire is to demonstrate the love of Yeshua and whenever possible, to give evidence from the Scriptures of his Messiahship.

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