Over 1,000 American pastors and Christian influencers pledged to support the Jewish people during a recent tour in Israel, where the delegation laid flowers on the graves of soldiers who died during the Israel-Hamas war and witnessed the impact of the terror group’s Oct. 7 massacre.
The Friends of Zion Ambassadors Summit, initiated by the group’s founder Mike Evans and organized in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held Dec. 3-7. The multi-day conference trained participants to serve as ambassadors of Israel in their respective communities.
On the last day, participants received their Friends of Zion Ambassadors certificates. By receiving the certificates, attendees declared “their commitment to promote Israel, strengthen its global standing and combat antisemitism,” according to a press release provided to The Christian Post.
Ronny Raines, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, was among the group of Christian leaders who participated in the trip. Reflecting on his experiences in the Holy Land, the pastor said the trip is one he expects to ponder for the next few weeks.
“My time in Israel was inspirational and painful at the same time,” Raines told The Christian Post. “This was my first time working with Mike Evans and the Friends of Zion.”
“I’m blessed by their compassion and mercy ministries, as they help hurting Jewish people and families.”
During the tour, Raines and other participants attended the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery Ceremony, where they met with bereaved families and left flowers and Israeli flags on the graves of fallen soldiers.
“It’s a sacred place. Thank God for the many leaders and soldiers who gave their lives and paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Raines said. “We must honor and respect them. The service at that site was meaningful. We heard three eulogies that day. Each speaker was powerful and transparent. God used them to touch our lives.”
At one point during their tour, the group met with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, the minister of foreign affairs, the speaker of the Knesset and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
The delegation also visited the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre and the communities near the Gaza border where Hamas slaughtered and abducted people on Oct. 7, 2023. Raines and others in the group also met with former hostages and survivors of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
“I visited a Kibbutz near Gaza,” the pastor said. “I saw the burned houses and walked into residences where innocent people lost their lives. I met one of the survivors from that community. He felt his life was spared that morning in order to tell their stories.”
“God calls us to stand with hurting people,” he continued. “The people of Israel are fearfully and wonderfully made. We must pray and support them.”
Raines was invited by evangelist and Student Leadership University founder Jay Strack, but this wasn’t his first time in the Holy Land. The pastor leads trips to Israel every couple of years and expressed interest in visiting again.
As Raines explained, most of the tours he leads through Israel focus on biblical sites. While the trip with the summit attendees included visits to various holy sites, such as the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the delegation also met people and visited locations that helped participants better understand antisemitism.
According to Raines, he is considering leading his next tour group through some of the new sites he visited during his latest trip to the Holy Land, including the music festival site. He also encouraged his fellow pastors to lead tours through Israel.
“I see tours to Israel as a discipleship journey. You help people experience the land of the Bible, meaning you influence the way people read and study God’s Word,” he said. “It’s priceless to read a story in the Bible, knowing that you’ve spent time in that sacred place.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
