JERUSALEM — The board of directors of The Joshua Fund today announced the appointment of Dr. Carl A. Moeller as the organization’s new executive director, effective June 1, 2020. 

Dr. Moeller was unanimously elected by the board in March to lead The Joshua Fund, an organization founded in 2006 by New York Times bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg and his wife Lynn. The mission of The Joshua Fund is to “bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus,” according to Genesis 12:1-3, and to strengthen the Church to help fulfill the Great Commission.

To that end, The Joshua Fund educates and mobilizes Christians around the world to pray for and invest in God’s work — including relief — in the “Epicenter” of the Middle East where potential conflicts prophesized in the Old Testament are expected to take place. 

“I have known Carl for many years and have been deeply impressed with his passion to strengthen followers of Jesus Christ to fulfill the Great Commission wherever they are, even when they face hardship and outright persecution,” said Rosenberg, the organization’s co-founder and chairman. “I believe that Carl is the right man at the right time to help The Joshua Fund continue to be a trusted resource for any Christian who wants to help advance the Kingdom of Christ in the very birthplace of the Church.” 

Dr. Moeller is a well-known and trusted leader in the global evangelical ministry world. His experience includes staff responsibilities with Cru (previously Campus Crusade for Christ) and Saddleback Church. He previously served as president and CEO of Biblica (formerly International Bible Society) from 2014 to 2017 and in the same role at Open Doors, USA from 2003 to 2012. Most recently, he held the position of executive pastor at Northland Church just outside Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Moeller earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago and his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Utah.

As executive director, Dr. Moeller will utilize his skills in motivational speaking, strategic planning, administration and fundraising to advance the cause of the Gospel in Israel and surrounding countries.

“Israel and the Middle East are perhaps the most important area to the future of the world,” Dr. Moeller said. “I believe that to fulfill the Great Commission and Great Commandment in region, we must walk in full obedience to Christ and seek peace, justice and healing by being the hands and feet of Jesus, regardless of the risk or the cost to us. The Joshua Fund is selflessly modeling and leading the way, which is why I am thrilled to join this amazing team.”

The Joshua Fund has invested more than $50 million in congregations and ministries in Israel, the Palestinian Authority and five neighboring Arab countries, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, and has assisted in the establishment of 17 food and relief distribution centers in Israel.

Additionally, The Joshua Fund leads “Prayer & Vision Tours” to Israel; has hosted “Epicenter Conferences” in the U.S., Israel, Germany and the Philippines; and taken delegations of American evangelical leaders to meet with senior Arab leaders throughout the region. 

“Carl Moeller’s global experience, speaking ability, and positive, creative forward-looking worldview are ideally suited for the current season of The Joshua Fund,” said Wayne Pederson, senior vice chairman of the organization’s board and chair of the search team. “Wonderful opportunities for the Gospel are opening up in the Epicenter following disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Joshua Fund is poised to move forward positively with strong passion and leadership that Carl will provide. I look forward to working with him in his new role.”

The Joshua Fund board enlisted the expertise of the Slingshot Group during its search process before unanimously approving Dr. Moeller. As he assumes his responsibilities as president on June 1, Dr. Moeller succeeds Tim Lugbill who has faithfully and humbly served in various roles with The Joshua Fund since its inception in 2006, first as board chair and subsequently as executive director, beginning in 2014.

For more information about The Joshua Fund, visit JoshuaFund.com.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: To schedule a print or broadcast interview with Dr. Carl Moeller or Mr. Joel C. Rosenberg, contact Wayne Pederson at wpederson@me.com. 

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• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible donation to The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? At this unprecedented moment of crisis, would you help us bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, care for the poor and needy and those unemployed and shut-in’s in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, teach the Word of God, answer spiritual questions, educate the Church about the importance of Bible prophecy and strengthen struggling congregations and ministries in the Epicenter? The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks.

(Jerusalem, Israel) — It is not every day that a Saudi newspaper publishes an interview with an Israeli Jewish citizen from an Evangelical faith, especially one discussing some of the most important and controversial matters in the Kingdom and region.

Yet to their credit, Al-Riyadh, a newspaper located in the capital of Saudi Arabia, published just such an interview with me yesterday. Indeed, it was their reporter who initiated the conversation.

It should be noted that the article never mentions that I am an Israeli, or that I did the interview by phone from my home in Jerusalem. The article also carefully avoids using the word “Israel,” even though I mentioned Israel repeatedly during the interview.

That said, overall, I regard this as a very positive development.

I am deeply grateful to three Arab friends in the region who translated the article from Arabic for me. I have synthesized their translations together — and spent a good deal of time on the phone with one of them — to provide a good and fair English translation. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it below. Then, please feel free to send me your comments via Twitter or my “Epicenter Team” page on Facebook. Thanks.

JOEL ROSENBERG TO AL-RIYADH: DIPLOMACY OF CROWN PRINCE IS LEADING TO PEACE AND MODERATION IN THE REGION

By Hadeel Oueiss, Al-Riyadh newspaper, May 21, 2020

The reforms that Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman are making are historic and having positive and dramatic effects on the Saudi kingdom and the region, says Joel Rosenberg, who is president of an association of Evangelical Christian leaders [that has met with numerous Arab leaders throughout the region, including MBS].

Such reforms show that Saudi Arabia wants to lead on initiatives regarding peace and moderation that will change the path of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East towards a better future, guided by young leadership and a new vision.

Rosenberg told the Al-Riyadh newspaper that the Iranian threat is the main danger that the Middle East must work to confront, and he praised the strategy of the Crown Prince towards Iran.

This strategy is based on strengthening the Kingdom’s stability and diversifying diplomatic relationships with other countries that would join Saudi Arabia in stopping Iran from exporting its evil and terrorism and who are willing to stand on common ground with the Saudis against Iran.

The strategy also involves not compromising towards Iran or removing the pressure on Iran that has led to internal struggle within the mullahs’ regime. Iran is facing collapse due to a serious economic crisis and the rejection of their own people. 

Rosenberg also added, “I see that Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Crown Prince, is making important strides in its ability to expand Saudi alliances and partnerships. This will bring about strategic and economic gains for the country, especially since two-thirds of the Saudi people are young, under the age of 30. They are looking to take advantage of the full potential of Saudi Arabia.”

“The aspirations of this generation – and the challenges they face – are different from what the previous generation experienced. The Saudi youth of today did not grow up experiencing the traditional conflicts of the region and have not been personally affected by them. They did not witness the wars of 1948, 1967 and 1973. It is a new generation with different experiences and new needs that the Crown Prince is dealing with as he builds new international relationships and plans that provide for the needs of these young people and a different vision of the future.”

“At its core, this is a thoroughly Saudi vision, more than ever before, and it concerns Saudi youth, their economic future, and how to change policies in order to serve the economy and to improve the quality of lives of individuals in Saudi Arabia.”

Rosenberg said that improving the standard of living and diversifying the economy is what all modern and stable countries seek and countries must draw their foreign policy accordingly, seeking to maintain good relationships with countries on all sides and dealing with other people regardless of their ideologies.

These goals are the focus of the Crown Prince’s vision, which is to create a future with a promising economy and political environment that is in harmony with the aspiration of the youth, rather than certain ideologies that would not be helpful for their future. 

Rosenberg also revealed a new opinion poll that he conducted in partnership with a company run by the American pollster, John McLaughlin. It found that more than 50% of the American people will support the Crown Prince and Saudi Arabia if they open to the world and work for peace in the region. [See note below.]

Rosenberg concluded, “My personal experience in meeting the Crown Prince was very positive, and perhaps a small example of the future of Saudi Arabia – a country that is open to welcoming others, that has the goal of deepening Saudi relations with the rest of the world. It is definitely in the national interest of the Saudis to diversify their economy and achieve this by diversifying relations with every country in the world and making Saudi Arabia a country that leads the efforts towards peace and moderation in the Middle East.”

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NOTE: It should be noted that the poll question cited in the article was not specifically about Saudi Crown Prince MBS. It was a question about whether the American people would view more favorably any Arab leader who chooses to sign a peace treaty with Israel in the near future. I will publish the exact question and poll results soon.

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• To order THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN in hardcover, e-book or audio formats, please click here. 
• To buy copies of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE in paperback, e-book or audio, please click here. 
• To buy copies of THE KREMLIN CONSPIRACY please click here.

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• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible donation to The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? At this unprecedented moment of crisis, would you help us bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, care for the poor and needy and those unemployed and shut-in’s in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, teach the Word of God, answer spiritual questions, educate the Church about the importance of Bible prophecy and strengthen struggling congregations and ministries in the Epicenter? The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks.

(Jerusalem, Israel) — After three national elections and a political crisis that left the country without a duly-elected government for nearly 18 months, Israel finally has a national unity government.

The Knesset voted 73 to 46 to establishment the new government, and its members were officially sworn in today.

• Benjamin Netanyahu will be Prime Minister for the fifth time. However, he will only serve until November 17, 2021. 
• Benny Gantz, the former IDF chief of staff, will serve first as Defense Minister while also holding the title of “Alternate Prime Minister.” On November 17, 2021, he will then switch with Netanyahu and becomes the nation’s full Prime Minister.

I’ll provide analysis of the new government in the days and weeks ahead.

For now, however, there is more good news.

Please join me in thanking the Lord that the COVID-19 crisis hasn’t been as deadly here as in other countries. Because Israel was one of the first countries to go into lock-down mode, the virus was impressively contained — and the country is beginning to reopen.

• As of this weekend, we have had nearly 17,000 cases, yet only 265 people have died.
• While each of those deaths is very sad, compare that number to Belgium which has roughly the same population as Israel yet as of this morning has experienced 8,903 deaths.
• Or compare with the State of Georgia in the U.S., which also has a similar population to Israel but as of this morning has had 1,517 deaths.
• Very few new cases have been reported in Israel in the past few weeks, so the country is beginning to re-open.
• Almost all schools re-opened today Sunday.
• Beaches will re-open on Wednesday.
• Malls and many stores are re-opening, as are factories and other businesses. And airlines are beginning to schedule more flights to and from Israel.

The government is phasing everything in, and monitoring closely to make sure there aren’t significant spikes in new infections. It’s not clear when church congregations can begin meeting again — our congregation has been webcasting sermons and having social times via Zoom for the past few months — but overall we are feeling cautiously optimistic over here. We even invited some dear family friends over for a barbeque this week, the first family we’ve had in our home in months.

What’s more, modern Israel turned 72 last week — a modern miracle.

Please continue praying for all Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones during this pandemic, for those who are still sick and for the many who have lost their jobs or their businesses. And please pray for our leaders to have wisdom to know how to proceed from this point forward. Thanks so much.

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• To order THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN in hardcover, e-book or audio formats, please click here. 
• To buy copies of THE PERSIAN GAMBLE in paperback, e-book or audio, please click here. 
• To buy copies of THE KREMLIN CONSPIRACY please click here.

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• Would you like to make a secure, tax deductible donation to The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net)? At this unprecedented moment of crisis, would you help us bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, strengthen the Church in the Epicenter, care for the poor and needy and those unemployed and shut-in’s in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, teach the Word of God, answer spiritual questions, educate the Church about the importance of Bible prophecy and strengthen struggling congregations and ministries in the Epicenter? The Joshua Fund is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Please click here to learn more. Thanks.

(Jerusalem, Israel) — As today is #GivingTuesday, would you consider making a tax deductible donation to the work of The Joshua Fund?

Your support is most appreciated — and more needed during this pandemic and economic crisis than ever.

Many of you know that in 2006, my wife, Lynn, and I founded The Joshua Fund, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit ministry to educate and mobilize Christians to “bless Israel and her Arab neighbors in the name of Jesus.”

Specifically, TJF works to strengthen the Church in Israel and surrounding Arab nations so they can….

• preach the Word of God
• shepherd the flock
• proclaim the Good News
• care for the poor and needy
• comfort widows and orphans, refugees and Holocaust survivors
• assist single mothers and their newborn children
• encourage pastors and their wives, and
• train future ministry leaders

From the perspective of our board and staff, The Joshua Fund (TJF) is like a spiritual venture capital fund. TJF comes alongside small but growing and promising congregations and ministries in Israel, the Palestinian Authority (West Bank and Gaza), and five neighboring Arab countries (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt) to invest in them with encouragement, prayer, and financial resources, allowing them to plant more seeds of God’s Word and bear more eternal fruit.

From the perspective of donors, TJF is like a ministry mutual fund. Many Christians want to help proclaim the Gospel and grow the Church in the Epicenter, but few have the time to crisscross through the region getting to know hundreds of pastors and their ministries, assessing which ones are theologically on track and walking closely with the Lord and stewarding their resources wisely and bearing real fruit and truly in need of assistance. That makes it hard for individual Christians and even some Christian foundations to know where to invest and how much to invest.

That’s where The Joshua Fund comes in. Our team of experienced and faithful pastors and ministry leaders does careful, prayerful and continual vetting of ministries in Israel and the Arab world and makes recommendations to our senior leadership on where we should invest the precious funds that our donors entrust to us. 

In this way, TJF endeavors to act as a trusted resource, helping you maximize the immediate and eternal impact of your charitable giving. 

Whether you’re a regular donor, or someone just learning about The Joshua Fund, please read our “2019 Impact Report” to learn more about what we do and the fruit the Lord is bearing through your prayers and financial support.

Would you also make a generous donation to work of The Joshua Fund? You can give securely online by clicking here, and your gift is tax deductible.

On behalf of our board and staff, Lynn and I want to thank you so much for you gracious prayers and generous giving. We are deeply humbled and honored to be engaged in this exciting and eternal work together, and we look forward to working side by side throughout this pandemic crisis and throughout 2020!

(Please share this report with friends and family on social media so they also can get involved with The Joshua Fund, blessing Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus — thanks so much!)