Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

The story was fascinating.

The owner of the efficiency apartment we rented on vacation sat with us on the patio. His accent was delightful but hard for me to place, so I asked about his background.

He grew up in South Africa, wealthy and privileged. His family was Jewish but more by heritage and culture than practice. After immigrating to the United States, he fell in love with a Pentecostal woman and spent two years speaking in tongues, teaching Sunday School, and being baptized both by water and the Holy Spirit. That relationship didn’t last and neither did the faith.

He married into a Hassidic Jewish family and embraced its piety. He wore the dark clothes and grew payot (the long curled sideburns). He strictly observed Shabbat and avoided any contact with women, save for his wife.

By the time we met and shared a glass of wine, he had been divorced for many years. He was in a 10-year relationship with his partner. Organized religion didn’t fill much space in his life, although he still identified as a Jew.

We talked for a while, asking questions about his life and faith.

As we both stood to turn in for the night, he turned.   

“I never imagined that the wife of an Episcopal minister would know much about Judaism,” he said. “Or even care.” 

Over the next few days, we talked some more, and I shared a bit about the Episcopal Church, about our baptismal covenant, and respecting the dignity of all people. 

I don’t believe he will convert. Nor was I asking or hoping for him to. That’s a decision between him and God. 

But I think we both learned something in this conversation. I was reminded of the roots of evangelism, of bearing a message, of telling the Good News. This is different than proselytizing and its focus on conversion. 

Practicing evangelism is talking about faith and belief. And evangelism is also about listening to the stories of another. 

There’s a beautiful Episcopal church just around the corner from this man’s house. He’s been invited to come to events there by his neighbors. He said before we left that the next time someone asks, he might say yes.