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Unique / Undefined

Messianic Leaders

Jews / Israelites with
Jesus

Militant Nationalists

Messianic Leader

Torah Only / Culturalists

Category

Unique /
Undefined

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Unique / Undefined

Name: Beth El / Church of God and
Saints of Christ

Type: Unique. The sect was founded in
1896 by a former slave named William Saunders Crowdy who had a vision that
directed him to his new / true faith. Their current leader, Rabbi Jehu
Crowdy, Jr., is the great-grandson of the founder. Today they have congregations
in North and South America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Their headquarters is
in Suffolk, Virginia.

Beliefs: Despite the references to
“Church” and “Christ” in their official title, in published statements
explaining their doctrine they argue that they do not believe that Jesus is
God or the messiah; they regard him simply as a Jewish prophet. This
distinguishes them theologically from most Messianic Jews. They differ from
our Rabbinic sect in several ways. Most significantly, they continue to use
the New Testament—albeit in a narrow context, do not conduct their services
according to a siddur (standard Hebrew prayer book),  nor do they follow the same procedure for
the training and ordination of their rabbis. They regard these and other
differences as cultural rather than matters of faith.

Comments: We have a long and mutual
respect for each other. Interaction on the leadership level has been limited
due to our doctrinal differences, though individuals from both
groups—particularly in the New York and Philadelphia areas, circulate and
enjoy close friendships.

Contact : www.cogasoc.org/

Messianic Leaders

Name: Kingdom of Yahweh, formerly
Kingdom of God.

Type: Messianic Israelites, Jesus and
New Testament with Torah. Vegan
dietary code, African-like garb, Zionist

Beliefs: They share the core beliefs of
most Israelites concerning race except that they  merge this with basic Christian tenants
about Jesus.  Their founder and leader,
Ben Ammi, is revered to quasi-messiah status,
and about 2,000 of them have successfully immigrated to Israel where
they live communally.

Comments: This group is essentially the
American wing of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem which I discuss
on the page about black Jews /Israelites in Israel. While individuals from
this group have been investigated by the F.B.I., in my experience most of
them are honest, sincere in their beliefs, and very industrious. Though my community
has profound theological differences with them, my colleagues in Chicago and
Atlanta enjoy amicable relations with them.

Contact:  www.kingdomofyah.com/

Jews / Israelites with
Jesus

Name: House of Israel Temple of Faith.
(Though this is the name of one of the oldest and largest congregations of
this type, the group to which it belongs—of which there are dozens--is not
formally organized. I use them, therefore, as a representative example.)

Type: Classic Messianic Israelite. If
they did not use the New Testament and refer to Jesus in their prayers, they
would be almost indistinguishable from Rabbinic Israelites.

Beliefs: They observe the Sabbath,
festivals, and holidays and prohibit pork and shell fish. However, they
retain from their Christian past the belief in a black Jesus as their
messiah. They reject other Christian practices such as Christmas and Easter.

Comments: “Rabbi” James Hodges is the
founder and spiritual leader of this congregation and the president of the
Yisraelite Organization of Unity which is attempting to bridge the gap
between most Israelite groups in America. I have known and respected him for
over two decades. For many years we believed, incorrectly, that they were in
the process of gradually shedding their Christianity and moving toward fully
embracing the Rabbinic way of life. This has not occurred with this
generation of leaders, but we remain on cordial terms with them.

Contacts:

Militant Nationalists

Name: Israeli School of Practical
Knowledge. Sometimes referred to as the 12 Tribes, but this name is also used
by others.

Type: Messianic, New
Testament-Christian Orientation, Militant, Paramilitary Style. Have been
accused of being racist and anti-Semetic.

Beliefs: They have appropriated the
belief that Israelites were black from earlier Israelite and Black Jewish
groups and transmuted it into an assemblage of Hebrew symbols,
Jesus-believing Armageddonism , and neo-Black Nationalism.

Comments: This group is one of many.
Though they are highly visible in a few cities and on cable air ways, they
are actually quite small. More importantly, their militancy is largely
rhetorical and many of their members
are approachable.

Contact: Israeli Church of U.P.K.

1941 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10035

(212) 289-9923

www.icupk.com

Messianic Leader

Name: Nation of Yahweh (Church of
Love). Founded by “Yahweh Ben Yahweh” aka Hulon Mtchell, Jr. in 1979.
Headquarters in Miami, Florida

Type: Messianic / Charismatic. Have
been described as a “hate group.” Followers often wear distinct white robes
or similar white garb.

Beliefs: Members of this group believe
that their leader is “ God the son of God.” Their doctrine is a compilation
of things that their leader developed from his experiences in Pentecostal
churches, the National of Islam, where he was once a minister, and his interpretation
of Israelite practice. At its height in the late 1980s, the group reported
thousands of members in many cities, it owned a variety of businesses, and
claimed millions of dollars in assets. In 1992, Yahweh Ben Yahweh and some of
his officers was convicted of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder
charges. He received an 18 year sentence. Members of the group believe they
are being persecuted.

Comments: Most of our knowledge of this
group comes from newspaper accounts. While some of us have met individuals
who claimed to be affiliated with the sect, there has never been a
relationship between our communities.

Contact Inf: www.yahwehbenyahweh.com/  (their site)

http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/nyah.html
(pubic report)

Torah Only / Culturalists

Name: Each congregation has its own
name, but members of these groups prefer the name Israelite or Hebrew
Israelite exclusively.

Type: Torah Only Culturalists. In the
general essay, I explained that they are very similar to the historic
Kariates in ancient Israelite History.

Beliefs: Though there are many groups
that share their form of dress, they do not all share the same beliefs. What
distinguishes this group from others is they are not messianic, do not use
the New Testament, and do not generally incorporate any Talmudic, Rabbinic,
or European practices that are not literally found in the Torah. Hence, it
can be thought of as a kind of Torah fundamentalism with an emphasis on
African culture.  Since many of the
leaders of this particular sect were previously associated with Rabbinic
Israelites, they continue to follow the same Parashot (the traditional weekly
schedule of Torah study and Haftarah readings), the same calendar of holy
days (though there is some debate), and many utilize some form of davining
(Hebrew prayer) in their services. One should not assume that because of
their dress and cultural preferences that they necessarily share the extreme
racial attitudes of other groups who ostensibly look like them.

Comments: Cohen Levi Ben Yisrael and
his student Cohane Michael Ben Levi (left) are two of the prominent leaders
of this group.  While we have profound
differences, we have had a long and respectful relationship in general. In
some cases, friendships and tolerance have transcended ideology.

Contact: www.hebrewisraelite.com/

Subtitle

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Israelite Board of
Rabbis

Rabbi S. B. Levy,
President

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