Jay's Testimony

About:

Jay Fielding
Sr. Messianic Rabbi & Founder Beth Chaim
Ordained Messianic Rabbi & Pastor

Testimony of Salvation

Why Messianic Judaism and Beth Chaim

Ministerial Training and Experience

Testimony of Salvation:

Interestingly, as a Jewish Believer in Jesus as the promised Jewish Messiah, I have trained, worshiped, learned, and served in diverse Christian denominations.

In fact, it was the love of the primarily Gentile Church, reaching out through the great commission, that found this once lost Jewish soul and introduced him to his Jewish Messiah, Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach!

As I will more fully explain, I began my walk with Jesus outside of my Jewish heritage, only to have God bring me full circle back to the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Now as a Messianic Minister, I have been empowered with the love of the entire Church body, and can share back with the Church, my fellow Jews, and seekers, that Jesus is truly the promised Jewish Messiah, and the only path to eternal life in the Family or Kingdom of God.

I have embraced the diversity of the Church body in the development of Eternal Life Style Ministries, so that all Believers are comfortable in participating in our powerful spirit-filled teachings, events, programs, and educational media, regardless of their denomination.

As background, I was raised an American Jew, following the ways of my people, including Torah study, Bar Mitzvah, and celebrating the Jewish holidays.

At the age of 28, I accepted Jesus by faith after overcoming my apprehensions as a Jew. I had always believed in God and His faithfulness to the Jewish people, however, I never knew until I accepted Jesus that I could have a personal relationship with God. My life prior to inviting Jesus into my life consisted of chasing after the world’s acceptance and approval, including money, materialism, and other idols of secular success which had not satisfied my soul.

Once reborn a Believer, I began to embrace a changed life dedicated to serving God.   I have received formal ministry training, and for the many years, I have taught God’s message of abundant life to individuals, congregations, Sunday school classes, single people, married people, inmates, and home fellowship Bible study groups. I have participated in numerous care giving ministries, as well as, evangelistic ministries to share the good news of Jesus, our Messiah.

Through friends, my wife Michele and I were introduced to Messianic Judaism. We now consider ourselves Messianic Jews. Messianic Jews and Gentiles are Believers who choose to practice their faith in Jesus through the Church's Jewish Biblical roots.

My primary teaching focus is helping all Believers achieve a more full life of success and spiritual abundance through the power of the Holy Spirit, a deep intimate relationship with God, and Jesus' eternal life principles of success found in the Holy Bible from Genesis to Revelation. In addition, I share many topics that help Jews and Non-Jews better understand their Hebraic Roots in Christianity and how to live a Jewish life-style within the freedom of Grace.

In gratitude to the Yeshua-Jesus for his mercy and gift of abundant life, I formed Eternal Life Style Ministries to help guide and inspire people of all nations and denominations to the same rich, eternal, and abundant living that I have been blessed with.

Why Messianic Judaism and Beth Chaim?

For those who do not know me, my name is Jay Fielding, Servant Leader of Beth Chaim Messianic Fellowship based in Marietta, Georgia. I am a Jewish Believer who God led into the Church through traditional Protestant doctrine and traditions. I was saved, Born Again, at the age of 28, over 22 years ago. I began Eternal Life Style Ministries, in December 2004, as a Teaching, Guest Speaking, Digital Promotion, and Singles Ministry. God expanded our portion with Beth Chaim, House of Life Messianic Fellowship in June 2006. ELS was a vision God placed on my heart almost 10 years earlier. I understand now that even though I had been anointed to this ministry, God was asking to me to wait on Him to prepare me for the ministry.

During this time of preparation, I married my wonderful wife and partner Michele. In addition, I regained my Jewish identity through Messianic Judaism which led to family healing and an enhanced ministry direction.

As many Jewish Believers have experienced, when I became a Christian my parents called me dead to them as a Jew. For the next 18 years I did not participate in Jewish Holidays with my immediate family and relatives as I had from early childhood. The Churches I attended considered the Old Covenant Feasts and Holidays Jewish and not part of Christian worship. I was taught that key scriptural holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, “Feast of Trumpets”, Yom Kippur, "Day of Atonement", Succoth, “Feast of Booths”, Shavuot, “Feast of Weeks, Passover, and Purim were completed by Messiah. I was also taught that the Land of Israel and the nation of Israel had been replaced by Jesus’ Church, as Spiritual Israel. For many years I lost connection to my Jewish roots.

I loved my new life in the Church and I am forever grateful to my Church brothers and sister who accepted this once lost Jewish soul and discipled me in Christ my God and Messiah.

I did not know I even missed my Jewish heritage until a Baptist brother in Christ took me to an Atlanta, Messianic Congregation approximately 10 years ago. There I saw for the first time Jews and Gentiles worship Jesus, as Yeshua HaMashiac, the promised Jewish Messiah. I heard Israeli-style worship and traditional Jewish liturgy I remembered from when I was a boy and young adult. I had taken 6 years of Hebrew school and was Bar Mitzvahed in the custom of my people. As a family we celebrated all the traditional Holidays and went to Temple for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

During this first Messianic service I began to cry and feel a deep emotional yearning for my Jewish roots. It was as though I had been living in a foreign country. The Churches I attended were the center of my life, but metaphorically not home. This home coming to Judaism began a quest to better understand the relationship of Judaism to Christianity. Over time I realized, as so many Jewish Believers are learning, that Christianity is the extension of Judaism to fullness in Messiah. Through Jesus all Believers are grafted into the promises of Abraham.

In one my Sunday School classes a teacher first showed me that all of God’s Appointed Feast and Festivals had Messianic meaning to our Church. They all pointed to what Jesus would do for the world and especially for Believers in His first or second coming. As one example, Jesus was the true Passover Lamb. As another, Shavuot, “Feast of Weeks” and Pentecost, was the Feast in which the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in the upper room, beginning our Church age. Appropriately, Shavuot is the Holiday Jews consider the time Moses received the ten commandments. Many other examples were given illustrating to me that Christian milestones and Jewish milestones were linked. This was an initial seed to my Messianic faith. Yet, since most Ministers considered the Jewish side of the Holidays fulfilled, I did not change my way of worship.

For a number of years I remained a member of a traditional Church where I was later married. I continued to visit a Messianic Congregation in Atlanta Georgia with my wife Michele. I continued to study and teach on the interwoven relationship of the Jewish people, Israel, and our Jewish Messiah with Christianity. I happily became a Jewish Christian, simply meaning I began to recognize that being a Jew and a Christian were not mutually exclusive.

I did not want to join a Messianic Congregation during that period, because I did not feel comfortable with my Judaism. I enjoyed visiting the Messianic Congregation, but God had not yet fully revealed to me the importance of Messianic Judaism to my people and to the Church.

Interestingly, Michele became a Ruth, having a heart to worship Jesus as Yeshua, the Son of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In another words, to worship within a scriptural Jewish context but in the grace and love of Messiah.

Together we eventually joined the Messianic Congregation we had been visiting for a few years. We began to worship on Shabbat and participating in God’s appointed Feasts and Holidays as Messianic Believers, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Shavuot, Sukkot, Purim and Chanukah.

As my parents became aware our keeping of the Jewish Holidays, (we call them Messianic Holidays because we now appreciate them as not ethnically Jewish but for all Believers in Messiah and the Jewish people) relationships were renewed. We received invitations to join for Passover Seders and attend Holiday services with my family. Many opportunities opened for me to share the Gospel with family members through our love for Israel and the Jewish people.

The light bulb then went on. I realized for the Church to be a truly effective witness to the Jewish people, Jews need to know we worship the Jewish Messiah promised to them in the Tenach. They need to be loved as Yeshua’s and Paul’s people. They needed to see the Church embrace Israel, the Covenant Holidays, and the Jewish People.

Never-the-less, Michele and I continue to cherish Christmas, (Blessing of Messiah’s birth in the flesh) and Easter, (Resurrection Day) as truly Messianic Jewish Holidays for all Believers. What can be more Jewish then the birth of the Jewish Messiah. The Prophesies in Isaiah 53 are prominently fulfilled in Yeshua’s death and resurrection. Through His stripes we would be healed.

What is more Jewish then serving the living Messiah with all our hearts, soul, and mind? What can be more Jewish than a God that created and loved all humanity and would save the Gentiles of faith along with the Jews of faith. This is clear in the Torah when we learn and understand prophesy and types of Jesus throughout Jewish Tenach (Genesis through Malachi).

When my wife and I joined the Messianic Congregation where I served in leadership and began Rabbinic studies under our association, MJAA-IAMCS, home study and conference Yeshiva. Over time, my studies at Yeshiva, life and ministry experiences, and teaching studies led me to a new viewpoint on Messianic Judaism and the Church. I began to realize that Messianic Judaism was a movement of the Holy Spirit leading the Church to re-embrace their Hebraic roots, as well as ministering to the House of Jacob.

The Messianic Jewish Movement is an anointed accelerating Holy Spirit movement to witness to the House of Israel, the Church body, and the unsaved world to prepare for the second coming of Messiah. Jesus Christ would return to Israel, sit on the throne of David, re-institute many aspects of scriptural Jewish life, and bring all nations together under Him as High Priest and King.

In October 2004 God came into my heart and said the time was right to begin ELS Ministries as a Singles and Teaching Ministry. To confirm God’s calling we requested the blessing and guidance of two Messianic and one Non-denominational Pastors. One of our spiritual guides, Dr. Howard Morgan, Kingdom Ministries, has served as a mentor for our Ministry since its inception. Dr. Morgan fosters Hebraic roots in Churches and Congregations. Dr. Morgan is an accomplished teacher and author on Church History. In other words, our ministry has had spiritual covering and accountability since its inception.

As we began ELS we chose to move to a different Atlanta Messianic congregation who supported our attendance while serving under ELS Ministries. We served as Singles Directors and invited our new congregation singles to attend regular monthly and Holiday Singles events. During this time, our congregation leader invited us on our first tour of Eretz Yisrael.

Our participation in the Messianic Jewish movement became even more meaningful as our souls touched the heart of Israel. The Land of Israel is truly a blessing to the whole world and the apple of God's eyes. As we traveled through the Promised Land of the scripture, we knew as never before God’s continued love for the Jewish people. We also became more convinced that God desires His Church to reconnect with physical Israel and the Jewish people.

In April of 2006, God spoke into my heart that it was time to move forward and to begin a Messianic Congregation beginning with a home fellowship. I discussed this with Michele. She wanted time for God to give her confirmation before we started on this long journey which would for the first time make us the spiritual covering under Messiah for others. We have a heart for care giving and hospitality and had been a mentor and guide to many over the years.

God also told me to go back to the Baptists for support and encouragement. I had been Baptized at First Baptist Greenville SC a few years after I came to the Lord. Later I moved to Atlanta, Georgia. I was invited by a friend to attend First Baptist of Atlanta led by Dr. Charles Stanley and his son Andy Stanley. I spent 5 years at First Baptist studying Pastoral leadership and beginning my Adult Teaching and Singles ministry skills and service. I joined a Thursday night men’s prayer group where I met many of my long term closet friends and mentors, a few who have become Baptist Pastors.

I started looking for ways to initiate relationships with leaders of the local Atlanta and Georgia Southern Baptist Convention. That’s when I learned about the SBMF, Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship and Rabbi Ric Worshill the current President.

In June of 2006, we went to our first SBMF conference in Greensboro, N.C. We had no idea what to expect. My wife and I assumed we would sit in the background and observe. How wrong we were.

Very quickly Rabbi Worshill, SBMF president, took us under his wing and introduced us to the group of Congregation and Ministry leaders from around the world that had come to the SBMF conference. Over the weekend, Michele and I received so much warmth and encouragement concerning our new work, we realized this was our sign from God that His call to begin a Messianic Congregation was of Him. The time to begin our new work was now. While at the conference we even worked with the SBMF leaders to name our Messianic Fellowship, Beth Chaim, House of Life to continue the Eternal Life Style Ministries vision for our future congregation.

Rabbi Worshill and others agreed to help get us connected to formal NAMB-Mission Board support for Church planting. . Michele and I cried tears of joy at the end of the conference when the group prayed over our new work.

Since our inception, Rabbi Worshill and other SBMF leaders have served as a wonderful support team and new spiritual accountability for our work. We are not alone! As examples, we received recommendations, help with our worship services, and encouragement through SBMF members such as Sam Nadler (Word of Messiah and Hope of Israel ministries), a 30 year leader and teacher in the Messianic Jewish Movement and his congregation's worship leader David Taylor.

We also receive mentoring and covering from Dr. Howard Morgan, Kingdom Ministries. Dr. Morgan is an international Messianic author, speaker, teacher, and mentor to many Church leaders and their congregations..

Eastside Baptist under the leadership of Sr. Pastor David Chauncey and Missions Minister Joey Garner have become true partners with Beth Chaim. Eastside offers us facility and many administrative and staff resources to help our growing congregation. This past April we jointly held a Messianic Passover Seder with over 320 attendees from Beth Chaim, Eastside and our community.

We recognize that the Church now worships primarily on the Lord’s Day Sunday. We also frequently visit Churches and Home fellowships on Sunday and embrace the diversity and grace of our Lord and Church body.

Over these past many years, I have served in both in Protestant Churches and Messianic Congregations. I participated in a number of Pastoral-Rabbinic leadership training courses, as well as served, studied, and taught the Word of God in numerous ministries, including Adult Education, Singles Leadership, Worship Service Leadership, Prison Ministry, Guest Speaker, Home Fellowships and now as Servant Leader of Eternal Life Style Ministries and Beth Chaim.

I look forward to serving you as a guest or member. Come and visit us.

Ministerial Experience and Training:

Pastoral Leadership Certified

Tekiah Prison Ministry Certification

MJAA, IAMCS Yeshiva

Certification for Congregation Leadership- First Baptist North, Atlanta Georgia

Bethel Series- Church of God, Atlanta Georgia

Singles Ministry Leadership Training

8 Years Torah and Jewish Studies

                    15 years of self-study of leading authorities in
                    Jewish, Messianic, and Christian Theology,
                    Doctrine, Apologetics, Topical Bible, Church History,
                    and Eschalogical Books and Multi-media Education

Over 200 Bible study lessons and sermons developed and taught

4 years of home fellowship and bible study leadership

Service Leadership:

2007-                            Ordained Messianic Rabbi and Pastor

2006-Current                 Servant Leader Beth Chaim, House of Life, Messianic Fellowship
                                    The Congregation Ministry of Eternal Life Style Ministries

2005/2006                    Director of Singles Congregation Hope of David

2004-Current                Servant Leader and Founder
                                    Eternal Life Style Ministries

2003-2004                   Tekiah Prison Ministry, Congregation Beth Hallel

2002-2003                   Director of Singles, Congregation Beth Hallel

1999-2002                  Adult Education Teacher, Peachtree Presbyterian

1996- 1999                  Spiritual Officer of 150 Member Class, Peachtree Presbyterian

1994-1995                            Adult Education Teacher, First Baptist North