In February the ICEJ’s Jerusalem leadership, international Board of Trustees, and 20 of our key international leaders gathered in Jerusalem to seek God and strategize about the future vision of the Christian Embassy. The meetings took place in light of the 40th anniversary of the ICEJ’s founding, which the ministry is celebrating in 2020. The purpose was to position ourselves for the years to come. Among other exciting challenges ahead, Israel has become one of the most successful nations in the world, there is a growing believing community in Israel, and we are witnessing dramatic changes in the Middle East. 
 
In his opening remarks, ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler spoke about the spiritual significance of 40 years in the Bible, which contains several important 40-year cycles. “We are standing at the threshold of a new season and we need to prepare ourselves”, he said. “What worked in the past might not work in the future, given the rapidly changing realities in Israel and the Middle East.” 
 
ICEJ Board chairman Ingolf Ellßel, Finnish branch director Jani Salokangas, and former Executive Director Malcolm Hedding all shared inspiring thoughts from the Word of God, with each setting a strong spiritual tone for the three-day gathering. Two of the most frequently raised points were the need for continual prayer to undergird our ministry and the need to mobilize the next generation of Christians to stand with God’s purposes for Israel. 

“After three days of much prayer and discussion, we all were blessed by the level of unity in spirit and purpose regarding the work of the ICEJ. God’s presence was clearly there, and we all felt that He is launching us into an exciting season in the years ahead”, concluded Dr. Bühler. Some of the changes and decisions will be announced in the coming weeks and months in more detail.