Presbyterian Church cuts funding of Messianic Jewish congregation

(RNS) The Presbyterian Church (USA) will stop funding a Philadelphia church that considers itself a "messianic Jewish" congregation.

The decision by the denomination, reached by a vote in late March, drew praise from Jewish leaders, who had expressed discontent for years over what they called "a church masquerading as a synagogue."

Avodat Yisrael, the congregation, describes itself as comprised of "Jewish believers in Yeshua (Jesus)" and taking an "ambassadorship" role in relating to the Jewish community. The congregation's vision, published on its Web site, also mentions its affiliation with PCUSA, the nation's fourth-largest Protestant denomination.

After meeting with Jewish leaders at the headquarters of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) last September, Clifton Kirkpatrick, the denomination's stated clerk, issued a letter that discontinued funding of Avodat Yisrael by the Philadelphia Presbytery as of July 1.