UPDATE: Softball competition back on as Petah Tikva grants license
It was most likely a bureaucratic or careless mistake, but that didn’t stop the Petah Tikva Municipality from throwing an unexpected curve ball at the 2009 Maccabiah Games. Play was halted when Israeli police came onto the field to inform participants that the Baptist Village was operating without the proper business license.
Jewish Israel feels that another venue might not be such a bad idea, for an entirely different reason.
The Baptist Village uses baseball as a “sports ministry” (“sports outreach”) which “opens the door to gospel witness”
And missionaries from the United States had been invited to volunteer to come to the games and partake in “an incredibly unique ministry opportunity" ...there's much more on this angle at Jewish Israel
If that doesn’t make you want to take the game elsewhere, consider that Pastor Dan Sered, the head of Jews for Jesus in Israel (the dude who plasters Israel with Jesus billboards and claims Jewish converts on a monthly basis), is the Pastor of the All Nations Baptist Church which holds its services at the Baptist Village
So Maccabiah participants who take the preservation of their Jewish heritage seriously should be singing, “Take Me Out of the Ballgame”, until the Maccabiah organizers can find a more kosher venue.
UPDATE (June 16th):
In addition to Alabama congregations, the Southern Baptist Churches in Southwest Ohio are sending two groups of missionary volunteers to the Baptist Village to assist with the Maccabiah 2009 games.
They are praying for us. Far be it for Jewish Israel to intrude into the heads and hearts of Southern Baptists, but seeing as they published it...
You can read excerpts from "The Prayer guide for 13 days of Maccabiah Games in Israel" at the updated post at Jewish Israel
If a missionary presence, agenda, and venue at the Maccabiah games disturbs you…
Write to the Maccabiah: info@maccabiah.com
Write to Limor Livnat, the Minister of Culture and Sport: llivnat@knesset.gov.il
Write to Stas Misezhnikov, the Toursim Minister: smiseznikov@knesset.gov.il
Write to the Ministry if the Interior: pniot@moin.gov.il
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