Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon

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[edit] Introduction

Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon (MLT) is the name of a small Christian denomination with an association of assemblies or congregations having close Messianic Jewish and Evangelical Christian affinities, with centers in Arvika municipality, Sweden, Oil City, Pennsylvania and Andhra Pradesh State, India. It describes itself as "plotting a mid course between these two". The group is officially registered in Norway as the Nye Pakts Kristne Fellesskap (New Covenant Christian Fellowship) and Den Nye Pakt (The New Covenant) and in India as the New Covenant Church of God. The main international office of MLT is located in the former Hillringsberg State School, Sweden, which closed in the 1960's.

[edit] Origins and History

MLT was founded in 1986 in Oxford, England following a revelation which Christopher C. Warren, the founder, claimed he received from God in 1984. Originally known as the Restoration Christian Fellowship, the group principally recruited from amongst Mormons and members of the Community of Christ with which it intially had the closest ties. Beginning within an essentially Mormon framework, the group's beliefs progressively moved in the direction of Evangelical Christianity. Around 1988, the group changed its name to "The Independent Church of Jesus Christ (of Latter-day Saints)" and then in dropped the "(of Latter-day Saints)" tag from the name in 1990 as it progressively distanced itself from the Latter Day Saint movement. In 1992 it renamed itself the New Covenant Christian Fellowship (NCCF) and renounced all the claims of Mormonism [1].

[edit] Leadership, Organization and Structure

MLT is currently led by a Council of Elders (2007) under the overall leadership of its founder, Christopher C. Warren, a graduate of Oxford University with a Masters degree in Biochemistry who is an educator and the group's pastor.

Originally starting as a centralized organization in 1988, individual congregations started becoming autonomous in the late 1990's with the main office in Sweden serving as a publishing, pastoral training and international conference center.

The ideal core structure of Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon consists of a patriarchy. When fully organized, this core consists of three patriarchs, three matriarchs, nine male apostles and an equivalent number of female apostles. Following the death and retirement of two members of the patriarchate in 2005-6, and the reorganization of the group on January 1, 2007, the patriarchate was dissolved and an interim Council of Elders and Eldresses appointed to oversee the changes from NCCG to MLT that are expected to be completed by the fall of 2007 ([2] [3]). This ideal structure currently does not exist in MLT, though, due to a lack of high membership numbers.

Ideally, each local assembly (also known as local fellowship or local colony) is presided over by a Pastor and Pastress, usually a husband and wife team, each with two male and female counsellors, respectively, drawn from amongst the Elders and Eldresses. Deacons and Deaconesses are responsible for the practical running of the local congregation.

Congregations and individual members frequently network and fellowship using the internet.

[edit] Names

Originally known as the Restoration Christian Fellowship (RCF) and latterly the Independent Church of Jesus Christ (of Latter Day Saints), before severing its links with Mormonism, MLT has been known by a variety of names in the past, the two most recent being the New Covenant Church of God (NCCG) (Guds Nya Förbunds Kyrka in Swedish, Guds Nye Pakts Kirke in Norwegian, and B'rit Chadashah Assembly of Yahweh in Hebrew) and the New Covenant Christian Fellowship (NCCF), under which name it remains officially registered in Europe. NCCG should not be confused with a breakoff of the Worldwide Church of God which uses the same name ([4]), or various Protestant groups using the same name (e.g. [5], [6]). MLT's Priesthood organization is known as the Chavurat Bekorot (meaning Assembly of the Firstborn) which together with MLT forms New Covenant Ministries. A short name that is frequently used for the association is "MLT", although it is still known by some as "NCCG". In 2006, the group began to use the name "Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon" (MLT) in a more visible capacity while also retaining use of the more familiar "New Covenant Church of God" until 2007 when it was completely dropped. The MLT name means "Family of the Heart of Zion" in Hebrew, with "Lev-Tsiyon" being an adopted surname for the group's founder and understood to apply to the membership as a whole who can be said to be a part of the "spiritually extended family" in "echad union" (complete spiritual unity). The group's web site is temporarily using the old NCCG domain name (www.nccg.org) pending transfer to a new one.

[edit] Location of Headquarters

Beginning in Oxford, England in 1986, the group shifted its headquarters to Oslo, Norway in 1988, and then to Moss, Norway in 1991 before moving to its current headquarters in Sweden in 1997.

MLT was established in the USA in the early 1990's, beginning in Louisiana, moving briefly to California before becoming finally established in Oil City, Pennsylvania in 2005-6. Though initially having a central headquarters in Benin, Africa in the early 2000's, two autonomous centers were subsequently established in Kigali, Rwanda and Nyanza Province, Kenya. The main Asian headquarters is located in Andhra Pradesh State, India.

[edit] Evangelism

During its Norwegian phase, the group was highly active with missionary work in England, mainland Europe, the United States of America and India. From 1992, when the group was renamed the New Covenant Christian Fellowship (NCCF), evangelical work moved out of Scandinavia and into Central and Eastern Europe, establishing small congregations in L'viv (Лвів), Ukraine, Chisinau, Moldova and Sofia (София), Bulgaria. Evangelism in Germany, Finland, Poland, France and Yugoslavia was unsuccessful. Until 2006, when MLT re-established itself in the USA, most missionary activity was evident in Africa (principally Kenya and Rwanda) and Asia (India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Australia).

[edit] Humanitarian Work

Since it's beginning, MLT has been involved in humanitarian work in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states, India where it has run orphanages and medical facilities in cooperation with the Church of Christ in Chennai (Madras), under Dr. Y.J.Monei, M.D., along with its own orphanages in Andhra Pradesh. The tsunami of 2004 devastated much of the work done by MLT in the east Indian coastal areas resulting in most of the fund-raising work being handed over to other organizations. Plans for the building of an AIDS Research and Care Centre in Chennai, approved by the Indian State Government, were abandoned upon the death of Dr. Monei.

[edit] Education

Many MLT children are homeschooled using the Accelerated Christian Education (School of Tomorrow) system and this system is promoted by the group for its members and investigators in English-speaking countries.

[edit] Funding

The group is currently funded through tithing and donations. Their official site (www.nccg.org) has a link to an online shop where one can buy custom-made tzitzits, headcovers, the group's literature and other things, which partly supports the operational costs of the head office.

[edit] Associations

MLT, under its former name, New Covenant Church of God (Sweden), remains a member of the Messianic Israel Alliance (MIA) [7]. It has also been a member of various Sabbath Day-affirming groups and in its earlier period was an active supporter of Friedenstimme ('Voice of Fredom'), a German-based organization supporting unregistered Baptists imprisoned and harrassed during the Soviet era in Russia.

[edit] Statistics

An Adherents.com report from 1996 states that NCCG had four congregations in Norway, one in the Ukraine and one in Bulgaria [8]. NCCG's own reports issued in 2002-2003 list 32 congregations in India, [9], 15 in Kenya, 3 in Rwanda, 1 in Benin, 1 in Togo and 1 in Nigeria [10].

In a survey published at the beginning of 2006, and subsequently sent to all members, NCCG was estimated to have between 3,000 and 5,000 members, the majority living in India. The hightest concentration of members were to be found in Andhra Pradesh State with others in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Mumbai (Bombay). Several hundred members were also to be found in Nyanza Province, Kenya and Rwanda. Statistics by office are recorded as:

1. The Patriarchate (6)
2. Bishops (1)
3. Pastors (~50)
4. Elders (~100)
5. Deacons (~200)
6. Full members in communion (~1,000)
7. Baptized probationary members (~2,000)
8. Catechumens/investigators (unknown)

[edit] Beliefs

The Godhead

The fellowship believes in Elohim the Son (God the Son), Jesus ,whom they call by the Hebrew form Yah'shua (Yahshua), but believes he is subordinate to God the Father (whom they call Yahweh). The Father, Son and seven-fold Holy Spirit (in Hebrew Ruach haQodesh, whom they call the Heavenly Mother and identify with Chokhmah) constitute God (Elohim) or the Godhead. Thus, their Godhead can be said to constitute of nine members, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with the Holy Spirit believed to be seven personages in one. The group adheres to the Sacred Name Movement in that it prefers to use the original Hebrew names of Deity to the commonly used English ones.

Scripture and Canon

The fellowship uses the Protestant Canon of Scriptures and favours the Hebraic Roots Version (HRV) and Institute for Scripture Research Version (ISRV) of the Bible for congregational usage. The Ebionite heresy is rejected along with kabbalism. The New King James Version, the New International Version and the RSTNE (Restoration Scriptures True Name Eddition put out by YATI (http://www.yourarmstoisrael.org/)) are also used. Scripture is viewed in neo-orthodox terms as a combination of verbal-plenary and conceptual revelation. The original Old and New Testament autographs are considered to be infallibly inspired. Aramaic and Hebrew texts of the New Testament are given primacy over the Greek versions.

Holy Days and Festivals

The fellowship observes the seven annual Hebrew festivals - Pesach (Passover), Chag haMatzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread), Yom haBikkurim (Feast of Firstfruits), Shavu'ot (Pentecost), Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Atonement) and Sukkot (Booths) - the montly Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) and the weekly seventh-day Shabbat (Sabbath). The Sabbath is observed according to the calendar week and not, as some Messianics do, by the lunar month. Because the group views the International Date Line as man-made, and that according to the Bible the true time change line should be through the Garden of Eden which it believes was located in eastern Turkey, it celebrates the Sabbath between these two lines on the first day of the week (Sunday), and not the seventh (Saturday), although according to the group’s interpretation of scripture, it technically still is the seventh day. The group rejected the celebration of Hanukkah and Purim in 2006 and 2007, respectively, on the grounds that they are not commanded by Torah and have been corrupted. The fellowship does not observe Christmas, Easter, Lent, or other Orthodox Christian holidays. As commandment-keeping is important to the group, antinomianism is rejected. MLT practices closely resemble those of the United Church of God, a break-off of the Worldwide Church of God, whose meetings they recommend their members attend in the absence of local MLT congregations. The group itself defines its relationship to other Christian churches and movements as follows:

"If one were to draw a line representing a theological spectrum, with two end points and a mid one, and using other denominations as illustrations, then at the one theological end you would fine [sic] something akin to the Methodist Church, at the other end Two House Messianic Israelism (though we reject Zionism and do not believe the modern-day Republic of Israel is biblical 'Israel'), and in the middle a blend of Seventh-Day Adventism (SDA) and the beliefs and practices of the United Church of God (UCG). In a nutshell, we believe in salvation by faith (not works) with a fruit of this being obedience to the commandments (New Covenant Torah) including the seventh-day Sabbath, eating kosher food, and observing the seven annual festivals of Yahweh (God). We believe that all true believers constitute 'Israel' and that we belong to a nation (Israel), currently without territory or borders, which will come into existence when Yahshua (Jesus) returns and sets up His Millennial Kingdom. In the meantime, we regard ourselves as a diaspora in the nations of the world." ([http://groups.msn.com/MLTReceptionGroup/mltfaq.msnw MLT FAQ #8)

Gifts of the Spirit and Revelation

The group accepts all the gifts of the Spirit, which they call the Ruach, and may therefore be termed charismatic. However, they are opposed to tongue-speaking which they believe must consist of modern recognizable languages and not disorganised speech and are thus opposed to the practices of many Pentecostals and main-stream Charismatics in that area, deeming it on occasion as demonic or soulish. The gifts of prophecy, seership and revelation also figure highly in the beliefs of the group which has published a large 1,100-page book called the "Olive Branch" containing examples of these ([11]). This book contains revelations from those both inside and outside their fellowship, with a majority attributed to the group's leader himself. The “Olive Branch”, unlike the Bible, is considered to be secondary scripture by the priesthood of MLT. Acceptance of the Olive Branch is not required of unordained members.

The Rapture, Second Coming and Resurrection

The group does not believe in the pre-tribulational rapture, nor does it believe that hell is necessarily eternal for all non-believers. In this respect, the group is universalist in doctrine. They do believe in the visible, physical second coming of Yah'shua, and according to their interpretation of the Bible, believe in two separate resurrections: the first for Torah-obedient believers in the Messiah (which also includes the 144,000) and then second for antinomian believers and non-believers.

No Circumcision

Unlike nearly all Messianic groups, MLT does not practice or perform circumcision though the operation is optional for men.

Politics

The group discourages involvement in politics except in defence of their liberties. MLT has, in particular, campaigned strongly for educational reform that encourages homeschooling.

Marriage and Sexuality

The group's position regarding marriage is that, in general, monogamy is the ideal marriage state for mankind. Polygyny is considered viable only if the two following conditions are met: (1) if God has called the involved parties to the arrangement, and (2) if all involved parties are in 100% agreement. Some members of the group may actively practice polygyny, especially in Africa and Asia. Otherwise monogamy is regarded as the norm and polygyny is discouraged. Celibate homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals are accepted into membership and have served in leadership positions.

Priesthood

The group believes in and practices male headship or patriarchy in the family but is distinguished from other patriarchal groups in its admission of women to positions of leadership and priesthood. The organisation as a whole, when fully organised, is headed by three Patriarchs and three Matriarchs that form a governing council called the Patriarchate. Like evangelicals, MLT believes in a priesthood of all believers and rejects the clergy-laity division of the Catholic, Orthodox and older Protestant denominations. It also rejects the external apostolic succession claims of these churches and others like Mormonism. Though converting to Messianism, MLT has retained many evangelical indices, and is orthodox in its Christology. Terms like pastor are preferred to rabbi, and assembly to church or synagogue.

[edit] Controversy

Acceptance of polygamous families in Kenya at the beginning of the 21st century created some controversy although many Kenyan congregations left MLT because of the group's insistence that traditional female circumcision (cliterectomy) be immediately stopped and that the women in forced or arranged marriages be given the choice to leave. However, the greatest controversy has been generated over MLT's acceptance of the existence of Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) and its active ministry to help these cult victims since 2002. The result has been, the group claims, to make it the target of a major internet disinformation campaign that has pushed it into the public view ([12]).

There are two web sites that are critical about the group. One is maintained by both an anonymous person who goes by the handle "NCCG Concern" and former member Derek Rumpler who left the group after disagreeing with a prophecy he felt was false. [13] This site has released critical information regarding the group which implicates possible fraud within the leadership [14]. Another site is the Christian apologetics ministry Tekton Apologetics Ministries [15], "The Jello Church: On the "New Covenant Church of God" [16], "Lady Fingers Or, Gender Crazy, Man" [17]. The group has responded to these with an article entitled, "MLT's Response to James P. Holding's Critiques, "Lady Fingers" & "The Jello Church"" [18] An anonymous person with the pseudonym "Axroot" has produced a web site claiming to debunk the former page which is hosted on both Geocities [19] and MLT's own server [20].

[edit] Media Coverage

Mishpachah Lev-Tsiyon is not widely known to the mainstream media outside Scandinavia.

A full-feature article favourable to the group was printed in the local Swedish-language newspaper "Värmlands Folkblad" (VF) [21] in Karlstad, Sweden on August 16, 2004, entitled, "Fight for Homeschooling" (title translated into English), covering a legal dispute between the group and Arvika municipality on homeschooling rights ([22]). The municipality and MLT reached agreement in the fall of 2006. Complete access to MLT headquarters was given to the VF journalist along with a photographic and interview session, and the interviewees allowed to proof and comment on the draft article before publication.

In 2006, three unfavourable articles were written about the group in the local Swedish-language newspaper "Nya Wermlands-Tidningen" [23] in Karlstad, Sweden. The first article was a headline article printed on June 10, 2006, and was titled "They are destructive, dangerous, and isolated" (title translated into English). The second article was published a few days later, and was a short addition explaining that the sect's children are homeschooled. The third article was printed on December 18, 2006, and was titled "Was close to death - now he's leaving the Glava-Sect. Brain infection was brushed off as issues with God" (title translated into English). MLT has disputed the accuracy, and written a report on, the first article [24], which it was not allowed to proof or comment on before publication, and was never informed of the other two articles and to this date, it claims, has never seen them.

[edit] MLT Theological and Historical References

1. Official MLT website written primarily by founder Christopher C. Warren
2. Articles of Faith of MLT
3. Current MLT news items
4. Frequently Asked Questions about MLT Beliefs
5. Outline of MLT Theology
6. Frequently Asked Questions about MLT given in response to questions by a Swedish newspaper (NWT)
7. Archive of the old NCCG website to April 2005
8. "The New Covenant Christian Witness, official journal of NCCG, 81 volumes, August 1992 - June 2004, located throughout the official MLT website at [25], published in Oslo, Norway, and Arvika Municipality, Sweden
9. 'The Collected Sermons of Christopher C. Warren, official publication of NCCG sermons, 16 volumes, July 2000 - September 2004 , located in the official MLT website at [26], Arvika Municipality, Sweden
10. The New Covenant Messenger -- the News Letter of the New Covenant Church of God, February 1996 - September 2000, published in Oslo, Norway, and Arvika Municipality, Sweden
11. B'rit Chadashah Evangelical Association Newsletter -- 7 issues, April 1996 - December 1996, published in Moss, Norway
12. Hundreds of pamphlets and booklets published by MLT and its forerunners since 1986 under the name of its publishing house, New Covenant Press
13. Answers.com online encyclopedia, New Covenant Church of God - Sweden
14. SpiritHit.com Religious and Spiritual Portal, New Covenant Church of God
15. MLT's response to two critical articles by Tectonics, "The Jello Church" and "Lady Fingers"

[edit] References to NCCG Detractors and other Critics

[edit] Newspaper References

[edit] Other References

Accelerated Christian Education homeschooling program used by MLT Headquarters

[edit] MLT-Related Wikipedia Links

[edit] External Links

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