Christians United for Israel (CUFI) on Sunday hosted a Night to Honor Israel at the Love and Unity Christian Fellowship (LUCF) church in Compton, Calif.
Ron Hill, lead pastor at LUCF served as event’s master of ceremonies. He was joined on the stage by DeeDee Coleman, pastor of the Russell Street Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, and David Siegel, consul general of Israel to the Southwestern United States.
Siegel, brought greetings to the crowd from Israel, and spoke about the historic bond between the communities represented at the event.
“The Night to Honor Israel was an inspirational event that rekindles the historic bonds between Israel, the African-American and Jewish communities,” Siegel says. “As we recalled our historic alliance that propelled the great civil rights movement, we renewed our solemn pledge in the spirit of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, to join forces in facing hate and bigotry everywhere, particularly a nuclear Iran, while forever striving for a better world for all of humanity.”
CUFI, which now boasts more than 1 million members, has in recent years sought to increase its presence in minority churches across the country. Since 2010, Pastor Michael Stevens has lead CUFI’s African-American outreach effort, and says that his message is well received.
“Our efforts have received an overwhelming and spirited reception from the African-American community which welcomed with open arms our message of solidarity with Israel. This historic evening, the first Night to Honor Israel in Compton, Calif., was a huge success,” Stevens notes. “Pastors, ministry leaders and laypersons alike celebrated their passion for standing with Israel and the Jewish community.”
