The Oldest Protestant Community in the Middle East

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BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF DISCIPLES WHO WORK, WORSHIP, AND BEAR WITNESS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

ROOTED IN HISTORY. FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE.

For more than 200 years, CMJ has served in Israel with humility and steadiness — believing that Christian presence is most powerful when grounded in the character of Jesus.

1

PRESENCE

We keep sacred spaces open in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv— places where people encounter welcome, prayer, rest, and meaningful conversations.

2

RELATIONSHIP

We invest in day-to-day, personal relationships that carry weight here — listening well, walking with people, and sharing the hope of Jesus with integrity.

3

HOSPITALITY

Through places like Christ Church and Beit Emmanuel, we offer warmth, belonging, and a table where people from all backgrounds are received with dignity.

4

DISCIPLESHIP

We walk with Christians who want to grow deeper — helping them understand Scripture, the land, and what it means to follow Jesus with humility and courage.

Ministry in Action

From guest houses to food relief, here is how we serve the people of the land every day.

Community Centers

Hosting locals and guests at our Jerusalem and Tel Aviv centers. Our coffee shops and guest houses provide peaceful spaces to share our story and heritage in the Land.

Mercy & Relief

Alleviating suffering for the poor and marginalized across Israel, regardless of background. We provide financial aid, education, and emergency food relief through our Mercy Fund.

Jewish Roots Education

Equipping the global church to understand the Hebraic Roots of the faith. We offer online resources and in-depth study tours in Israel exploring the Gospel’s Jewish context.

Worship & Reconciliation

Cultivating active worshiping communities where reconciliation is a lifestyle. Our diverse staff of Jewish, Arab, and international believers worship together in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

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Plan Your Visit

  • Book Your Stay

    Book Your Stay

    CMJ Guest Houses located in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv Jaffo provide a unique experience for visitors and tourists alike.

    Read more: Book Your Stay
  • Tours With a Purpose

    Tours With a Purpose

    Following the traumatic effects of the current round of fighting in the Gaza Strip, we are blessed to host our new “Tour With Purpose” program, offering you the chance to make a meaningful impact.

    Read more: Tours With a Purpose
  • Join a Study Tour

    Join a Study Tour

    With our in-depth Bible teaching and qualified tour guides, you’ll discover more about the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith than ever before – right in the place where it all happened.

    Read more: Join a Study Tour
  • The Mercy Fund

    The Mercy Fund

    From its beginning in 1838, Christ Church has been committed to helping the poor and sick in Jerusalem and surrounding lands. Our work continues to this very day – will you partner with us?

    Read more: The Mercy Fund
  • Visit Our Museums

    Visit Our Museums

    At CMJ Israel’s Heritage Centres we preserve and present the history of our involvement with the Jewish People since 1809 where they come to learn about our participation in their history.

    Read more: Visit Our Museums

Our History

Founded in London in 1809, the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People (CMJ) has been active in the Land of Israel since the 1820s. Moved by an awareness of God’s love for His covenant people, Jewish and Gentile Christians recognized that God had promised to restore the people of Israel to their land, and to their Messiah. Further, CMJ wanted to see the Church restored to its Jewish roots.

Moved by compassion for the plight of the impoverished Jews in Palestine, CMJ established modern clinics, state-of-the-art hospitals, farms, workshops, vocational training, schools for boys and for girls (which was non-existent in 19th century Palestine). CMJ also brought modern architecture, archeology, a library and more into the region. These efforts benefited all the people in the land – Arabs, Druze, Armenians and others.

CMJ actively opposed anti-Semitism in the region and many of its supporters were key in promoting the establishment of a home for the Jewish people in the Holy Land.

In 1841 CMJ appointed Michael Solomon Alexander (the first Jewish bishop in Jerusalem since 135 A.D.) as the Anglican bishop in Jerusalem, and together with the Prussians, CMJ built Christ Church, the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East.

Although life in Israel is vastly different today, CMJ remains as committed, and its work as varied, as in the past. And CMJ is still motivated by the call of Isaiah to comfort His people so that “the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.” (Isaiah 40: 1-5).