Over 80 workers in Jewish evangelism gathered at a hotel near Orlando, Florida for the 19th annual North America conference of the Lausanne Consultation on Jewish Evangelism March 11-13, 2002. For the first time, the Latin America branch of LCJE joined the North America conference under the leadership of LCJE-LA coordinator Yosef Koelner.

Under the theme "Messianic Jewish Identity" the two groups met in concurrent teaching sessions joining together for morning and evening prayer and worship. Leaders attended from four continents - North America, South America, Asia and Europe. Countries represented included: Colombia, Brazil, Israel, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Ecuador, Denmark, and the United States.

Before the first plenary session, fifty participants visited The Holyland Experience, a 16-acre biblical theme park that replicates parts of Jerusalem from the days of Jesus. Later that day, Marvin Rosenthal, director of Zion's Hope that directs The Holyland Experience, told the conferees the story of the vision for The Experience, the miracles that had made the project possible, and the future plans for its expansion.

International Coordinator from Denmark, Dr. Kai Kjaer-Hansen, gave a report on the work of LCJE worldwide in the last year as well as delivering a paper on Jechiel Lichtenstein, a 19th century Jewish believer and leader in Eastern Europe. Other papers given in the North America track included:

"Jewish Children and Messianic Jewish Identity" by Kirk Gliebe of Devar Emet Messianic Jewish Outreach, Skokie, IL;

"Jewish Missions & Messianic Congregations" by Barry Rubin, Messianic Jewish Communications, Baltimore;

"The Torah: What is Authoritative and What is Not Authoritative" by Dr. Louis Goldberg;

"Jewish Ministry in Context: A Modern Messianic Identity and Practice" by Rev. Andrew Sparks, Messiah Now Ministries, Philadelphia;

"Centrality of Messiah: Theological Directions of the Messianic Movement" by Rev. Fred Klett, CHAIM Ministries, Philadelphia;

"Facing the Media" by Susan Perlman, Jews for Jesus, San Francisco;

"Whatever Happened to the Kingdom of God?" by Dan Gruber, Lion of Judah Ministries, Hanover, NH; and,

"One in Messiah" by Wes Taber, AMFI, Lansing, IL.

After each paper was delivered, appointed LCJE members moderated question and answer sessions. Lively discussions followed each talk.

Interspersing the major papers were reports on:

"The Jewish Believers' Project" by Rev. Torkild Masvie, Caspari Center, Jerusalem;

"Behold Your God/Tampa Campaign" by Stan Meyer, Jews for Jesus, Ft. Lauderdale;

"Russian Ministry in Brooklyn" by Leslie McMillan, Russian Community Life Center, Brooklyn;

"Latin America Update" by Yosef Koelner, Congregation Aron HaKodesh, Ft. Lauderdale;

"Israel Right Now: Tension and Challenge" by Bodil Skjott, LCJE International Committee, Denmark.

Bible readings brought by Dr. Richard Pratt of Reform Theological Seminary, Oviedo, FL, opened morning sessions. Dr. Pratt used Genesis 1:26 and Isaiah 52:7 as the bases for the devotionals. From each passage he pointed out the call to the evangelist to take the gospel to all the world, to bring many the Good News of salvation, and to encourage new believers to know their full inheritance in Jesus and the "new world" which is to come.

Worship was led by a joint team from North and South America and included Stan Meyer, Jews for Jesus, South Florida; Tuvya Zaretsky, Jews for Jesus, Los Angeles and International President, LCJE; Stephanie Campo, Ft. Lauderdale; Dominiquae Bierman, Israel; Peter Citelli, Ft. Lauderdale, and Melody Smith, Independence, MO.

Major papers were given in the Latin America track on the following topics:

"Historia del Ministerio a los Judios en Latinoamerica" ("The History of Jewish Ministry in Latin America) by Rabbi David Sedaca, Virginia Beach;

"Compartiendo con Efectividad al Mesias con los Judios de Iberoaermica" (Sharing the Good News of Messiah to Iberoamerican Jews) by Percy Johnson, Chosen People Ministries, Quebec, Canada;

"Historia del Judaismo Mesianico" (The History of Messianic Judaism) by Rabbi Manuel Hernandez, Messianic Jewish Alliance of Mexico; and,

"Evangelizando al Pueblo Elegido o Abandonando a Yeshua por Abrazar el Judaismo Rabinico" (Evangelizing the Chosen People vs. Forsaking Yeshua for the sake of Rabbinical Judaism) by Rabbi Peter Citelli, Congregation Aron HaKodesh, Ft. Lauderdale.