To better understand and support Israel, high school students from the Eagle Mountain International Church ministry, 14forty, attended the national Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Summit in Washington, D.C. The goal was to understand Christianity’s role and why maintaining a sense of Israeli awareness is crucial for today’s believers. However, they came home knowing much more about themselves and why their Christianity is involved.
Along with parents and nine young adults from the church’s young adults ministry, The Bridge, EMIC went to DC. The determined group was resolute to understand and fortify their sociopolitical beliefs. This trip represented their faith in Jesus Christ and a deep affinity for the origins of His people.
The Bible declares in Psalm 122:6 (NLT) to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May all who love this city prosper. ‘ As every believer should, these students and young adults were determined to discover why.
Why Stand With CUFI and Support Israel?
Christians United for Israel (CUFI) was founded by Pastor John Hagee, founder and pastor emeritus of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. What began in 2006 as a grassroots effort to exemplify the Abrahamic Blessing in Genesis 12:3 and encourage pastors to become galvanized with Israeli interests is now the largest pro-Israel organization in the U.S. with 10 million members.
Eagle Mountain International Church, founded by Kenneth Copeland and led by Pastors George and Terri Pearsons, has been involved with CUFI since 2017. Then, John Jester, associate pastor of EMIC, initiated a program to engage college students more actively in Israeli awareness and inspire them all to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” That idea was so singular that Pastor Hagee was determined to do the same thing.
“CUFI on Campus” was born in 2018. That year, EMIC committed to sending a couple of college students (free of charge) with a passion to support Israel and outreach to the national CUFI Summit in Washington, D.C. They heard from international leaders, foreign heads of state. They regarded pastors who inspired everyone in attendance to cultivate their Holy Spirit-inspired desire to speak out about antisemitism on college campuses.
“The CUFI Summit is bigger than mobilizing grassroots efforts to support Israel,” said Pastor Jester. “This is about protecting the heritage of our faith. It’s not a political agenda; it’s giving these tragic stories of antisemitism a face and a name.”
Why Go to Washington, D.C.?
This year’s annual excursion from EMIC to the CUFI Summit was notable for something different. Since 2018, EMIC has helped inspire the idea of CUFI-related high school clubs. Additionally, Pastors George and Terri Pearsons became active within CUFI as state directors. The vision from CUFI has become tangible at Eagle Mountain International Church.
The church vociferously speaks about being strong in your faith, understanding how to support Israel, news related to Hamas terrorism, and even the Free Palestine movement. It’s open, honest dialogue from a Messianic perspective, which is something that 14forty pastor Kathryn Hanley stresses is sorely missing in today’s churches.
“It is rare for so many young people to approach their elected officials to advocate for pro-Israel legislation in our nation’s government and laws,” she said. “It was amazing to see these young people educate themselves and take action on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people!”
Thanks to the heartfelt generosity of CUFI partners creating fully paid scholarships, 13 of EMIC’s 14forty students were able to go to this year’s CUFI national summit. The trip was unforgettable. They even watched former Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas share their grueling stories.
“There was no watering down of the agenda at the CUFI Summit,” continued Pastor Hanley. “The students—and the adults, too—heard what needed to be said about the rigorous state of affairs in Israel around the world.”
Why Is It Vital to Understand How to Support Israel?
Pastor Jester discussed a pressing sociological issue that underscores the importance of attending a CUFI Summit or knowing how to support Israel during these times, whether on a high school or college campus, at work, or in church.
“Most teens have no concept of Israel itself. Our kids understand there is a country in the Middle East where Jesus was born. Yet, few know why our allegiance to the nation is biblical,” he exclaimed.
“These students are inquisitive about justice and rights for everyone. They understand social reform and relate to Black Lives Matter. They also connect with the LGBTQ+ protests. And they can understand the Free Palestine movement because it deals with a group of people who want to be seen and heard—something students deal with every day in some fashion, everywhere.”
Pastor John Jester, Associate Pastor, EMIC
However, to make that connection with Israel more real and personal, Pastors Jester and Hanley took the group to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for an unforgettable experience.
Before this exhibit, before the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas against Israel, even before the Holocaust, theories spread like wildfire, painting the birthplace of Christianity as the enemy.
Powerful reminders, like the shoes and IDs that belonged to Jewish people and their allies, prove the devastating scale of the tragedies against the Israeli people. That significance in each pastor’s eyes is reason alone to stand with Israel and speak strongly on behalf of that country.
“Judaism is one of the only places where race and religion, culture and politics intersect, and they are not mutually exclusive,” they said. “Seeing IDF soldiers at CUFI’s summit, headlines in the news about October 7, or those precious IDs in the museum show antisemitism isn’t a fight against a theory or ideology; it’s against a defenseless person.”
Why Are Students Challenged to Apply These Lessons?
One of the last things the traveling EMIC students were privileged to do in Washington, D.C. was visit Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court. Students and chaperones alike noted it was one of the most impactful moments of the entire trip.
Pastor Hanley mentioned the group standing on the steps of the Supreme Court, praying for our nation and reading scriptures about justice for the innocent. “We prayed for righteousness in our country, for our leaders, and to create laws that aligned with biblical truth,” she said. “We also prayed for protection over our court justices and national leaders. It was amazing!”
Pastor Jester agreed and shared the reason for this lesson. It detailed and underscored the need to support Israel and take a stand against anti-semitic oppression.
“There is a level of cognitive dissonance you have to appeal to high schoolers’ and college students’ emotions and teach them what is going on in the world around them,” he said. “Beyond church, beyond ministry, what we learned is a launching pad for dreams of a complete community, and one where Christians can be proud of a Jewish heritage in whatever way it connects to them.”
To learn more about CUFI, visit cufi.org/about. For the pioneering 14forty ministry at EMIC, visit the church ministry’s website.
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