About Us

It’s really not about us. It’s all about Yeshua (Jesus). He is the reason for our being, not only our existence as human beings, but also as a congregation of His followers. As Sha’ul (Paul) said: 28 “for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:28a TLV). He is our Creator: 16 “For by Him all things were created— in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, whether thrones or angelic powers or rulers or authorities. All was created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16 TLV). Our goal is to dedicate very lives to serve Him.

We believe with complete and perfect faith that ...

YHVH, the Elohim (G-d) of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'akov (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the Creator of all things, the G-d of Israel, the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent One is the One true Elohim (G-d) and King of the Universe. He revealed Himself in the entire Holy Scriptures as HaAv (the Father) and Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit). HaBen (the Son, Yeshua) is foretold in the Tanakh (The Hebrew Bible) and fully revealed in the Ketuvim Notzrim (Writings of the followers of the Righteous Branch [Yeshua], the New Covenant Scriptures). G-d is a Spirit; as HaAv (the Father), He sent His eternally begotten Son Yeshua to die sacrificially for us, yet He remains eternally Echad (One).

The Holy Scriptures as originally written are divinely inspired and without error. Consisting of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible, which consists of the Torah (Five Books of Moses), the Nevi’im (Prophets) and the Ketuvim (Writings) and the Ketuvim Notzrim (the Writings of the Followers of The Branch), the Scriptures are our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

Yeshua is HaMashiach (the Messiah), the only begotten Son of the Father. He was conceived by Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit), born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died as an atonement for all. He was resurrected bodily, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of HaAv (the Father) as Kohen HaGadol (the High Priest), making intercession for His people. He will soon return to earth in glory and power as Mashiach ben David (Messiah, the Son of David), the King Messiah, to reign over the earth as foretold by the Prophets.

Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit) came forth from HaAv (the Father) through Yeshua, HaBen (the Son), to indwell and empower each believer to live a sanctified and holy life. Signs, wonders, and miracles follow each believer as he or she proclaims the Good News of salvation.

We are to be faithful to God's commandments found in the Torah (Five Books of Moses), which He gave to Moshe (Moses) on Mount Sinai (those which are possible today without a Temple and priesthood and living outside of the Land of Israel) and which are amplified through the writers of the Ketuvim Notzrim (The Writings of Yeshua’s followers). The Torah (Teaching and instruction), the Nevi'im (Prophets), the Ketuvim (Writings), and the Ketuvim Notzrim (Yeshua’s disciples Writings) teach that all men and women, both Jews and non-Jews, are separated from the living Elohim (G-d) by their sin. Man can only be reconciled to G-d by recognition of his sinful condition, making teshuvah (repentance, which is the act of turning away from sin and back to G-d), and acceptance of Yeshua's atoning death, which is freely offered by G-d to all humanity. This message of atonement through Yeshua is Besurat HaGeulah HaMalchut (the Kingdom Good News of Redemption) which He made possible by becoming both the Mediator and sin sacrifice of the New Covenant which ADONAI made with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-37) . The Good News not only involves a life-changing turn from sin to righteousness, but it also embodies the prophetic promise that The Sukkah (Fallen Tent) of David, the royal throne promised by ADONAI to King David's descendant, will be rebuilt in preparation for Yeshua's soon return to Jerusalem to claim His throne as King of Israel. It is an anticipation for this soon-coming Kingdom of G-d upon the earth through the reign of the Prince of Peace that prompts and motivates true heartfelt, life-altering repentance.

Faith or trust in Yeshua as Messiah brings righteousness with G-d based solely on grace through faith. Faith in Yeshua and faithfulness to G-d's Torah commandments are not mutually exclusive. Both are expected as our reasonable faith and practice as new creations in Messiah. As such, we observe and celebrate the Biblical Shabbat (Sabbath, the seventh day of the week), Holy Days, and Feasts of ADONAI, which He gave to Israel with their fulfillment in and through Messiah Yeshua. Biblical Judaism, the faith of the first-century followers of Yeshua, is our goal.

The nation of Israel is chosen by G-d to be a channel of blessing to all the nations of the earth. The return of Israel to their land is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The Messianic Jewish Community, composed of Jews and non-Jews, dormant for many centuries, is being resurrected and revealed in the Olive Tree of Israel. Pictured in this tree is the spiritual unity among all believers in Yeshua, the members of the Guf HaMashiach (Body of Messiah). In these days, G-d is calling His Jewish people back to Himself as He promised through the Prophets. In the end of days, all of Israel will turn to G-d and accept Yeshua as their Messiah. The Torah will then go forth from Zion and the Word of the L-rd from Jerusalem under the leadership of Yeshua HaMashiach, the King of Israel.

Beit Shalom began as a fellowship in the home of Robert and Mary Louise Ackerman in the late 1990’s. In 2002, Beit Shalom Messianic Synagogue officially opened its doors. It was located in a small storefront on Smith Avenue which we affectionately called “the mini-syny.” Also that year, Robert was ordained as a Congregational Leader by the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS), the congregational arm of the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA), and Beit Shalom was licensed as a congregation. In 2004, we purchased our Torah scroll. Eighty years old at the time, it was a survivor of the Holocaust in Poland. As a part of our service each Shabbat (Sabbath), a portion is read from it in Hebrew. In 2005, Beit Shalom renovated and moved into its present home on East Jackson Street.

What is Messianic Judaism? The earliest followers and disciples of Rabbi Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth believed that He was the promised Mashiach (Messiah) of Israel and the Redeemer of all nations. However, they did not believe that Yeshua came to start a new religion or to abolish the Torah (Teaching, Instruction) of Moses; instead, they continued to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as participants in the ancient Israelite faith, now called Judaism, the faith of the Jews. Since 1967 (the birth of the modern Messianic Jewish Movement), a magnificent revival has taken place - thousands upon thousands of Jewish people are accepting Yeshua as the promised Jewish Messiah and many believing Gentiles are coming to this same conclusion. Since the advent of Christianity around 300 CE, the original message of the earliest followers of the Messiah has been changed from its biblical viewpoint and has had elements of paganism added. However, now that Jewish people are again accepting Yeshua, a marvelous thing has been reborn - Messianic Judaism, the biblical Jewish faith of Yeshua's earliest disciples, a continuation of the faith of the ancient people of Israel. As many Jewish and Gentile believers are learning the truth of the Torah, it is influencing their lives in indescribable ways, transforming them into passionate lovers of the God of Israel. These Messianic believers are the people of the last days, whose mission it is to prepare the world for the return of King Yeshua by restoring all things lost to the Body of Messiah.

This is not to take anything away from the Christian followers of Jesus. Messianic Judaism is not in competition with Christianity. Together, we make up Yeshua’s full body, the members of the same team. As Messianic followers of Yeshua, we promote our understanding of Scripture only for those whom ADONAI (G-d) calls to the Movement. Yeshua has given the leaders within His Ecclesia (Assmbly of believers both Christian and Messianic) the authority to make their own decisions concerning faith and practice (Matthew 16:19) and as a part of Messianic Judaism, we only make those decisions for ourselves. Our sincere hope and prayer is for unity in the Body of Messiah. Neither Jew nor Gentile is more special than the other, for we are all one in Messiah” (Galatians 3:28) and by having love for one another, all will know that we are Yeshua’s disciples (John 13:35). 7 “And the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua” (Philippians 4:7 TLV). The most basic meaning of shalom is “peace.” The peace which passes all understanding is understood in Hebrew as shalom, shalom. By doubling a word in Hebrew, its emphasis is increased. That is our sincere hope and prayer for all in Yeshua’s body, that they would have shalom, shalom, the perfect peace of G-d in all things.