Local Presbyterian minister produces video with strong pro-Israel message

Rev. Gregg Meister on location at the Dead Sea where, he says, "Jesus Christ, the most famous Jew during the Roman period, lived in an Essene community." Although the Presbyterian General Assembly voted four years ago for "divestiture of stock that supported or profited from Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories," few Presbyterians actually backed this process, according to Rev. Gregg Meister.

An ordained Presbyterian minister and president of Interlink Media, a Haddonfield company that produces educational DVDs for churches, schools and hospitals, Meister believes that "most Christians are neutral where Israel is concerned." He, however, is not neutral, he said during a recent interview in his Haddonfield offices.

As a Christian, Meister believes that God gave Israel to the Jews and that "Israel's claim to Jerusalem stretches back 3,000 years." He hopes that his new DVD, "Israel: The Land of Promise and Conflict," will convince other Christians to share his point of view and join him in advocating for the Jewish state

Armed with Master's Degrees in radio and television from San Francisco State and the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communications, along with ordination from Princeton Theological Seminary, Meister traveled to Israel, along with his wife, In September 2007 and May 2008, to shoot footage for the video. Included are the key sites associated with Jesus Christ's life and death.

"I'd wanted to make this video since the 1990s," he said. "Many Christians have a mystical attraction to Israel. And my thinking was that a video would bridge the gap, giving churchgoers a reason to care about Israel's survival and a sense of Israel's significance."

When Meister travels through Israel, he sees the bible. "I want other Christians to share that feeling," he said.

Cindy Hamill of Fox News edited the video and helped select its content. Completed in early November, it premiered during a Nov. 15 Israeli night at the First Presbyterian Church in Merchantville. The screening was followed by a panel discussion with Paula Joffe, chair of the AIPAC Greater Philadelphia Leadership Council and Len Feldman, chair of the American Interfaith Institute.

"The video makes a strong political statement," said Joffe. "I hope the Christian community wants it, because it's an excellent piece that can influence people's thinking and what they communicate to their elected officials."

Meister, who founded Interlink Media 20 years ago, has a market of 5,000 churches. The video, along with a leader's guide, will be available from www.israel-land-ofpromise and-conflict.com in early January 2009. .