Interview with Inna Rehlo
(Leader and pastor of the Messianic Jewish Congregation in Chernovtsi Ukraine)

Inna, tell us something about the Congregation

It has many of the characteristics of other messianic congregations in the Ukraine. On Shabbat we meet for worship and Bible teaching. Our praise and worship is in Davidic style with many of our songs in Hebrew, such as those taken directly from the book of Psalms. Our dance group leads the congregation in dance as an expression of joy and worship to the Lord with our whole beings. On Erev Shabbat, Friday evenings, we honour Shabbat and have times of prayer. We keep all the biblical feasts and are mindful of the fact that their fulfillment is in Yeshua. We prefer to call him Yeshua, rather than the hellenised name “Jesus”.

Is there anything else you can mention?

Today we have an active congregation of 75 people. Many visitors often attend our Shabbat services and about 38 of our regular group are actively involved in ministry. Not all of them are from a natural Jewish background but everyone is welcome so long as they understand and accept that the congregation identifies strongly with the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. I personally believe very much in the importance and need to raise up and train a strong leaders group and much of my own time is focused on this.

Is it not unusual for a woman to lead a Messianic Congregation?

It is, but I did not choose it. The Lord put me into this position through circumstances and the leading of His Spirit and now I have to accept it and give it all I have.

What happened?

My husband Kolya and I joined a regular Christian Church and because of our backgrounds we were naturally interested in Jewish work. A messianic Jewish leader, David Levine, came here in 1997 and spoke to the pastor about a work amongst the Jewish people. On a later visit he suggested to our pastor that a separate Jewish congregation be established and the pastor then talked to Kolya and me about it. We were set apart for the work with his and the congregation's blessing.

The early days must have been challenging but also exciting

When we first left the church we soon realised that we did things the same way as in church. I like to call it "the cathedral approach“; in other words just keeping to a traditional way of conducting the service. For many months there was no fruit, no success. Then we met with David Levine in Kiev and talking to him was a real breakthrough. At first we did not understand when he told us that our approach was wrong. A Jewish believer who came with David said we were putting the horse behind the wagon. After much discussion, I turned to David on the way out and said “maybe we have to stop meeting on Saturdays”. David responded that that was exactly what he had been trying to tell us all along: “Change your approach!”

So what did you decide to do? Meeting on Shabbat is after all normal for Messianic Congregations.

We had to get away from the traditonal pattern of doing things. And so instead of meeting in a church on Saturdays, we began to meet in a home on Erev Shabbat - Friday evenings. We wanted to talk to people heart-to-heart around a table in a more personal and informal setting. In this home group in Chernovtsi people came to worship and have fellowship, but also to pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem.

So was this the beginning of the Messianic Jewish Congregation in Chernovtsi?

Actually we had two beginnings. The first was with Kolya when we began with about 50 believers. We thought we could preach from the pulpit and Jews would come. But there was no response, nothing happened. After some time we were left with just 13 believers. That was when we had to change our approach and started meeting in a home group. We were also encouraged when we met many other Jewish believers at a Messianic Conference in Zytomir in 1998. For 4 years Kolya and I worked together in the messianic congregation. But Kolya was not well; for twenty years he had had kidney problems and he passed away very suddenly following a dialysis treatment. My little daughter Nastia and I were devastated and I wanted to give everything up.

It must have been a traumatic time for you, Inna; how did the Lord lead you further?

I wanted to move away somewhere but the Lord told me that the burden He had put on me was from Him and I could not put it aside. That was not what I wanted to hear from Him, but God found me in all my places of escape. He said "I will deal personally for you and not with you". He showed me that I was his servant, but now He wanted me to be His child.

That must have been a very profound and comforting spiritual experience for you...

Yes, He worked in my heart and life and I found love and strength inHim. I became a different person. I could not have imagined that before; I changed so much.

How did this affect your relationship with the Congregation?

I knew I had to continue with the work even though Kolya was gone. Very few of the old team were left, but then came the second beginning . The breakthroughwas when I changed. Then God began to bring new people along and a new ministry team was established.When I visited other Jewish congregations I felt a different atmosphere in their services, not like the Christian churches I had known before. I cannot explain what it was. Maybe because I changed I could discern the difference.

So now you have your own Shabbat services again?

Yes. I learned a lot from these other congregations, even though at first I was shocked at how little order there was. Praying and dancing went on at the same time. Some believers just kept talking to each other and at times it was very noisy. The messianic rabbis made people laugh. In the midst of all this though therewas a tremendous presence of God which even frightened me at times. I realised that we could have our own services if we could free ourselves of the old habits. For myself I knew that I could never again worship as before.

What do the Christian pastors in the city think about your style of worship?

We do get critical comments from some of the pastors but there is also tolerance from others. Some of them even send their elders and worship leaders to our Shabbat servces. And our dance group is invited to churches to demonstrate Hebraic dancing. I think we have had an impact on churches in the city, helping them recognise the Jewish roots of their faith, though I hope to see more of this in the future. By making the roots healthy, you bring health to the tree. The fullness that God promised can come - Churches don't have to become Jewish to allow the God of the Jews to be there.

Inna, what else can you tell us about the activities of the Congregation?

We have asked God to give us opportunities to do charitable works. Now lots of openings are coming. We like to work with children and we have a great summer camp programme, for example. Children of different ages attend and in one camp we have 28 orphans. Every week a group of older teenagers also meets to discuss problemsand to receive encouragement and direction.

Some members of our leaders group works with young women who have finished schooling but are not yet ready for the world. We give them medical help, provide them with clothing and other necessary items and help them find jobs. Through this ministry we sometimes find new Jewish people. Katya was one who came and asked if she could stay in our home. She repented and last week we found out that she is Jewish. One of our sisters visits elderly Jewish women who live alone.

You seem to be burdened for the children. Do you have other plans for ministering to them ?

Yes, we would like to establish a centre for the social and physical recovery of orphans between the ages of 13 to 22 in the Chernovtsi region . On an adjacent property we have obtained a long lease on two cottages which will be fixed up to house up to 30 people. Also the land around it could be used for a tent camp and for different summer activities.

In just one Chernovtsi orphanage school there are 110 children. Of these, 35 are orphans and 75 are welfare children which means children with parents who don't take care of them. There are quite a number of these orphanages. When these children reach school-leaving age they are on their own and are often unable to accommodate themselves to society's standards. They are not able to found good families and do not have the opportunity to get the education or training necessary to find a good job. Because of this, many fall into prostitution or stealing.

So it is our dream to establish a rehabilitation centre with a dormitory where these young people can live for up to 2 years and receive spiritual, ethical and vocational education, to prepare them to be mature and responsible members of society.

Apart from this dream, what is your vision for the future?

We want to minister on a higher level of worship. We want to make the Shabbat service more perfect so that in great praise and worship the Lord is lifted up and a standard is set for the world. We also want to train and educate staff for ministry. There are many believers who are very talented and could do much if they had more free time. It would be wonderful if they were able to be in full-time ministry.

God revealed something to me recently. I read about the meaning of Jewish society. We have a very strong community spirit, ideally with high moral standards and supportive of each other. Christians here often don't want to do business with one other because of lack of trust and dishonesty. We have many examples in our society of contractors, for example, who do not honour agreements. The Torah, with its laws, protects people from such situations.

The first church had everything in common and there was a tremendous sense of community. People did not run away from each other. By the blood of Yeshua - Jesus - we have become part of the Israel of God. I believe we can apply some of the teachings of Torah to build something not mysterious but a society of believers with high standards of moral conduct who will be a true community united in mutual respect, trust and love.

Finally Inna what are your views on the nation of Israel and the biblical injunction to Jewish people to return to the land of their fathers?

Of course Israel is being restored according to the promises made through many prophets. I believe that God will gather all Jews back to Israel. But the person is more important to God than the place where he is. God has His own time and for every period He has a specific plan. Many made aliyah from here directly to the heavenly Jerusalem!

Some of the Jews who went from this area to Israel came back after a negative experience there. Others are happy with their new life in Israel. One problem is that many of the believers who went from here stopped growing spiritually as the atmosphere there is just not encouraging, or because they did not have the right fellowship with other believers.

The Lord has promised that I will soon visit Israel. It will be my first time and I am very excited, knowing it will make a big difference to my understanding of the land and the people of the Bible.

Inna, a year ago you got married again to an elder in the Congregation and later this year you are expecting a baby, fourteen years after your first child. We pray for the Lord’s richest blessings on you, your family and the Congregation. The Lord has truly made you a unique leader for a time such as this.

August 2006