Press Release: The Vilnius Statement: A Groundbreaking Call for Jewish Disciples of Jesus

For Immediate Release

Contact: Mark Kinzer mkinzer@yachad-beyeshua.org

Date: 2 March 2025

Vilnius, Lithuania— In a historic gathering of Jewish disciples of Jesus from Israel, Europe and the USA, the Yachad BeYeshua (YBY) conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, unveiled a groundbreaking statement on the calling of Jewish disciples of Yeshua. The Vilnius Statement, developed through years of dialogue and reflection, represents a bold and unified commitment to reconciliation, Jewish-Christian relations, and the witness of Jewish believers in Jesus within both the Church and the wider Jewish world.

A Historic Moment in Vilnius

Held November 8–10, 2024, the conference took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, a city rich with Jewish heritage and marked by deep historical wounds. With contributions from Mark Kinzer, Ephraim Radner, Antoine Lévy, and many others, the gathering addressed the identity and vocation of Jewish disciples of Jesus—a group often caught between two worlds.

The conference provided the setting for the drafting of the Vilnius Statement, entitled  “Servants of Reconciliation,” which was composed by members of Yachad BeYeshua’s Theological Commission.

“Jewish disciples of Jesus live in the tension of two seemingly irreconcilable realities: their Jewish identity and their faith in Yeshua,” said Dr. Mark Kinzer, a leading Messianic Jewish theologian. “The Vilnius Statement is a call for us to fully embrace this tension as a gift—one that enables us to serve as agents of reconciliation between Israel and the Church, between Jew and Gentile.”

The Four Pillars of the Vilnius Statement (Full Statement here)

The Vilnius Statement articulates four central commitments for Jewish disciples of Jesus:

1. Israel and the Body of the Messiah – Jewish believers in Jesus are called to faithfulness to their own people while also fostering healing between Israel and the Church.

2. Witness and Reconciliation – Jewish disciples of Jesus bear a twofold witness: within Israel, to Jesus; within the Church, to Israel’s irrevocable election.

3. Tanakh and Apostolic Writings – The unity of Scripture, often neglected in Christian history, must be re-emphasized as a central theological conviction.

4. Suffering and Hope – Embracing the challenge of being Jewish disciples of Jesus, even in the face of isolation and misunderstanding, is itself a prophetic witness to God’s future redemption.

“This statement is not merely theoretical—it is a roadmap for Jewish believers in Jesus to embrace their distinctive and in many ways unique calling,” explained Dr. Ephraim Radner, an Anglican theologian who spoke at the conference. “We must recognize that the Jewish people and the Church need one another in order to fulfil their joint mission in the world, and Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus need one another if they are to embody the full reconciliation that the gospel proclaims.”

A Call to Action

Participants at the Yachad BeYeshua conference emphasized that the Vilnius Statement is not simply an academic exercise but a call to action. As one presenter, Svetlana Panich, noted:

“The statement compels us to consider what it means to be a visible, faithful Jewish presence within the Body of the Messiah, and a visible, faithful expression of the Messiah in the midst of Israel. It challenges us to educate, to advocate, and to bear witness to our unique vocation.”

The conference discussions also raised important practical questions: How can Yachad BeYeshua serve Jewish disciples of Jesus who are not yet connected to this movement? How can this vision lead to real engagement with both Jewish communities and Christian churches? How do we move from a theological statement to lived reality?

An Invitation to the Church and Jewish Believers

The Vilnius Statement serves as an invitation—to Jewish believers in Jesus who are seeking clarity about their identity, to Christian churches who need to rediscover the Jewish roots of their faith, and to the wider Jewish world, which often misunderstands or dismisses the existence of Jewish disciples of Jesus.

“If Jewish believers in Jesus do not step into this calling, who will?” asked Dr. Kinzer in his closing remarks. “We are called to be a bridge between worlds, to be signs of the reconciliation that God is bringing to all of creation.”

As Yachad BeYeshua looks ahead, the message from Vilnius is clear: This is not just another theological statement—it is a calling. The Jewish disciples of Yeshua have a voice, and it is time for that voice to be heard.

Gavin D'Costa, a professor at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, and a friend of Yachad BeYeshua said:

"I just read the Vilnius Statement on the Calling of Jewish Disciples of Yeshua. It is brilliant and will help orient us all in the coming years. It is rare to read something so short and so profound! Thank you for the work you do."

For more information or to access the full Vilnius Statement, please visit https://www.yachad-beyeshua.org.