About MBI

• Messianic Bureau International (MBI) began March 1994 as an information service for Messianic Judaism. MBI opened its first Internet site June 1995 at www.messianic.com, which quickly became the largest Messianic web site in the world with more than 2 million visitors per year.

  On November 1, 1997 MBI began the first online Messianic Jewish Yeshiva, which became a recognized seminary in May of 2000 with an EDU designation at www.mbiyeshiva.edu. MBI Yeshiva is now serving over 240 students online.

  MBI Radio began June of 1999, with weekly Internet broadcasts. Now MBI Radio (www.mbiradio.com) broadcast Messianic Jewish music 24 hours per day, available for listening in all countries of the world with Internet access.

  The first MBI Messianic Jewish Conference was held March of 2000 at which Messianic ministers began to be publically commissioned, and congregations and ministries began to be chartered.

  Messianic Bureau International has become one of the fastest growing Messianic Jewish associations with Yeshiva students from 14 countries and rabbis/ministers from 14 states plus Canada.

• Spiritual Authorization: Messianic Bureau International (MBI) is a governing organization and association of Messianic Judaism, including membership, congregations, ministers and yeshiva (seminary). Our authority is subservient to Messiah as an overseership on behalf of His Body at large, which was bestowed on us with an "apostolic" (shaliach/sent one) calling and commission from Adonai Yeshua, the Messiah. "For G-d has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise."
• Legal Authorization: Messianic Bureau International (MBI) is a tax-exempt religious organization* under the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America ( * church according thereto). We are established to provide all necessary functions of a Messianic Jewish association of congregations, a membership constituency and an association of credentialed ministers. MBI is governed by a Board of Directors.
• Board of Directors: Rabbi David Hargis (President and General Overseer), Mrs. Linda C. Hargis (Vice President), MMin. Don Doherty (General Secretary), David Seitz (Member), David Aronowitz (Member)  
• Advisory Council Members: MRav Avner Solomon, MRav. Sariella Creeger, MRav. Yosef Boleware

Our Mission Statement

• Our mission is: (1) To proclaim the good news about Messiah Yeshua to all who will shema (hear/understand). (2) To facilitate the Messianic Jewish Restoration until all Israel is saved; to the Jew first and also to the Gentile or non-Jew. (3) To teach righteousness to all people through the eternal Torah of the Most High, in preparation for Messiah's return. (4) To provide diplomatic communications for all involved in the Messianic Movement, the Jewish Revival and the Kingdom's Restoration. (5) To achieve these ends with integrity through every available open door.

Our Summary of Scripture Faith

• Adonai (YHVH) revealed in the Holy Scriptures is the One true G-d; He is our G-d. Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) is the Messiah of Israel, revealed as YHVH in the flesh.
• His death is the valid permanent sacrifice for sin, and His resurrection is the promise of eternal life, for all who trust Him.
• The scriptures are authored by the Ruach (Breath, Spirit) of G-d through human agency. YHVH indwells those who obey Him with His Holy Breath (Ruach HaKodesh).
• All who trust YHVH as Avraham did, obeying His Voice (His Messiah), they are the offspring of Avraham by covenant.
• Those who are the righteous redeemed show themselves to be obedient with love in all their living, bringing glory to YHVH.
• The only true Torah (Teaching) of the Most High is that which is written in the Holy Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.
• Expanded Statement of Faith

Our Operations

• MBI Membership (general constituency)
• Messianic Bible Institute - Yeshiva / MBI Yeshiva (Under-graduate and Graduate School of Messianic Ministry)
• MBI Credentials (Credentialed Messianic Ministers)
• MBI Charters (Establishment of Messianic Congregations and Ministries)
• MBI Radio (m'b'ir) (Internet Radio, Messianic Broadcasting)
• Zadok Scroll Works (Research, Scritpure Translation and Publishing)
• www.messianic.com This central general web site for the Messianic movement

Our  Name

• Messianic means we are looking for the coming Messiah and trusting and following the works of the One (Yeshua) whom we have accepted to be the Messiah of Israel.
• Bureau means "authority".  We base our work on the supreme everlasting and immutable authority of G-d's holy Word.
• International means we connect with the global Messianic movement.

Our Perspective

• To be sure, the movement of which we are a part centers on the Jewish t'shuvah (return) to trusting in Yeshua as Messiah. Thus, it is first of all the Messianic Jewish Restoration. However, it also features a restoration of Hebrew roots and the restoration of faith in the eternal Torah in the lives of many non-Jewish believers who are joining with the Israel of G-d.
• We also view the term "Messianic" as symbolic of that which is bringing all scripture prophecy into fulfillment for the glory of Messiah Yeshua.

Some Definitions

• SHORT OUTLINE OF BELOW: We accept only one Body of Messiah and not two houses of Israel. We are Pro-Torah and believe the Torah continues to protect us today. We allow and facilitate Jewish conversion for Gentiles, but are firm that it is not and cannot be required or expected.
• What is Messianic Jewish or Messianic Judaism? To us Messianic Judaism means the original walk which our Jewish Messiah Yeshua (the Lion of Judah) lived, coupled with our trust in His death and resurrection as Adonai in the flesh. This Messianic Judaism is characterized by Rabbi Shaul (Apostle Paul) to be the natural "olive tree" of the Israel of G-d, an entity in which is combined the natural branches of faithful Jews and the grafted-in wild branches of former Gentiles who also follow G-d's instruction, making up one new creation of G-d. For us "Messianic Judaism" is a phrase which characterizes the ideal potential in Scripture of a unified faith/walk that includes both Jews and former Gentiles. MBI accepts that there is only one covenant leading to salvation, and that covenant is in Messiah's shed blood. Therefore, all that live according to the promise of G-d in the Jewish Messiah are to be Messianic Jewish in faith/walk and then also collectively to be the Israel of G-d. We do not accept a separation of who we are into a theory of two or more houses, (such as "Ephraim and Judah"), because for us that implies separate covenants, and leads to unecessary and unbiblical controversy over heritage, descendancy, and geneology. We avoid and detest any unecessary controversies which divide the Body of Messiah. Whenever the term "Messianic" is used alone it implies the fuller terms "Messianic Jewish" or "Messianic Judaism".
• Our commitment is to the permanence of G-d and His Word, and the truth of Messiah Yeshua, which altogether is beyond all capacity of mankind to fully explore, contemplate or grasp in this life. We affirm that the written Word from Genesis to Revelation is the sum total of G-d's Torah and is God-breathed, and that neither Jewish oral tradition, nor Christian commentaries, nor the writings of any other religions or individuals of the world, are authored to that level by Him. The Jewish Talmud can provide great historical background and enlighten the meaning of Scripture in places, but is not to be received as equal with Scripture, or be treated as immutable Torah instruction. Interpretation of Talmud or any other commentary may never be a dividing point among Messiah's followers.
• Therefore, while we respect the good parts of Jewish and Christian ways, if in any manner a tradition departs from the plain text of Scripture, we are not in agreement with it. From that perspective, we are religiously Jewish and Christian in those things which we have concluded are obedient to Holy Scripture. We are Messianic Jewish by the definition we choose of the term, and thusly, we are not the same as every party using the term "messianic," neither do we accept automatic association with every party which uses the term of themselves. We are suspect and sketpical of any who use the term "messianic" without relating it to the Jewish restoration of faith in Messiah.
• Messianic Bureau International believes that through trust in Messiah Yeshua we are made into a new creation, a new mankind, called out of the world system. That entity will never have its full meaning on the earth until Messiah comes. Yet, now is the time of restoration toward that day, and Messiah Yeshua has made us workers for that purpose.
• MBI allows for Messianic Jewish Simcha ("conversion to Judaism") to those who feel they are called to this action. MBI does not require nor expect Messianic non-Jews to receive Simcha. Simcha adds nothing to fellowship or status in MBI. (This provision was passed unanimously by the March 3, 2001 Conference.) Go to further explanation.
• MBI does NOT accept as truly Messianic/Messianic Jewish those people or groups which are: {1} Yahwist or Sacred Name, {2} Medieval or Classical Christian (Catholic or Protestant), {3} Ephraim and Judah or Two House, {4} Not believers in the Diety of Messiah Yeshua, {5} Anti-Semites or Physical Supremacists.

Our Administrator

• Rav Dr. David M. Hargis is President and General Overseer of Messianic Bureau International and Messianic Bible Institute-Yeshiva. He is also the main policy and doctrinal writer, and spokesman for MBI.

• Rabbi Hargis was 52 in August 2001 and has 32 years of ministry experience as a full-time servant/leader. He was ordained in 1973 and pastored four churches before leaving classical Christianity in 1989 to practice Messianic Judaism and accept ordination as a Messianic Jewish Rabbi.

• He is the founder, under-shepherd and rabbi of Mishkan HaMelech (Tabernacle of the King) in the Hampton/Norfolk/Virginia Beach area of Virginia. Mishkan HaMelech is affiliated with Messianic Bureau International (MBI), and stands as one local expression of, and prayer support for, MBI.

• David holds a Master of Arts in Theology and a PhD in Biblical Communications. His Hebrew studies, besides seminary, were taken at Temple Israel Conservative Synagogue of Norfolk, Virginia and the Jewish Community Center of Norfolk, Virginia.

• A scholar, author and biblical translator, Dr. Hargis, has written five books, including translations and commentary on scripture: The Messianic Isaiah and Yeshua: The Remembrance.

• His grandmother (Cordova) was a Sephardic Jew from Spain and her husband, his grandfather, was an Ukrainian Jew. A second cousins grandfather, Avraham Hargis, was an Orthodox Jewish Rebbe. The origin of Hargis, concerning his clan, is Yiddish taken from the Hebrew har-gil, meaning "mountain of rejoicing;" and there is some legendary belief that it is Levite, or even Kohen.

• David and his wife, Linda, will be married for 32 years in August 2002. They have two grown children (Shanna and William David), two grandsons (Justin (7) and Jacob (4) ), and a granddaughter (Samantha (6mo) ).

• Rebbitzin leading worship   Rabbi (before gray hair)

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