Synagogue blesses Baptists_62705

Posted: 6/24/05

Synagogue blesses Baptists

By George Henson

Staff Writer

It seems only natural that Congre-gation Beth Torah and WillowCreek Fellowship have joined together in ministry. Their rabbi and pastor have been teaming up for years.

The latest occasion came when the Jewish congregation celebrated its first Karen Leynor Mitzvah Day. The “mitzvah,” or good deed, that included Pastor Roy Frady's Plano Baptist congregation was a contribution of food, clothing, diapers and other items collected by Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor's congregation to mark the first anniversary of his wife's stroke. She never recovered and died last September.

Members of Beth Torah also cleaned cages at animal shelters, volunteered at a shelter for battered women and performed other good deeds across the community.

Leynor said the acts of kindness brought a balm to his congregation, as well. “I think for many of us, we find that the way to heal ourselves is to help someone else,” he said.

This wasn't the first time the Richardson Jewish congregation joined the Baptists in the nearby Plano church. On another occasion, members of Beth Torah brought 2,500 pounds of food for WillowCreek's food pantry that ministers to impoverished families.

WillowCreek also reaches out to the community through English as a Second Language classes, as well as Spanish as a Second Language classes. It offers computer training and various support groups. Beth Torah members have offered to teach some of those classes as well.

The congregations are close because of the deep friendship between their leaders. They first became acquainted as police and fire chaplains in Plano, and later they were Victim Relief Ministry chaplains.

They even were roommates when they traveled to Israel to learn how to counsel people in the event of mass casualties, such as in a terrorist attack.

“We have a good sharing between us,” Frady said. Leynor put it a bit differently: “He's kind of like a Christian version of me.” The men respect one another's beliefs. Frady is interested in Jewish rituals and festivals, and he said Leynor has a keen knowledge of Christian belief.

“He's become very interested in this rabbi from Nazareth (Jesus) and has now read the entire New Testament in the original language,” Frady said. “We're friends on a journey together.”

Neither lets a person's beliefs get in the way of ministry, Leynor said. “I have people of many faiths that come to me,” he said. “To me, it doesn't matter. I just want to minister to them. I serve people, not just Jews.”

That is what makes the men and their congregations so compatible, Frady noted. “Our church is used to reaching out to everyone in every way possible,” he said. “They are used to having a kingdom vision.

"The fact that they know that I'm the way that I am, they do not think it's strange at all that I have a friend who is a Jewish rabbi.”