Is Kehilat T’nuvah a synagogue or a church?
The term “synagogue” is used in the Apostolic scriptures (called the New Testament) in James 2:2 (although most modern translations substitute other terms, such as “assembly” or “meeting”) which simply means a “gathering” or “congregation.” The word ekklesia (usually translated “church”) was used by the early Messianic Jews to designate their meetings as part of the congregation of Israel. So referring to our congregation as a synagogue takes us back to our very roots. Many times we will simply use the term “congregation” to refer to our community. Ultimately, we recognize that Yeshua’s kehilat (congregation) consists of people, not buildings, and so as a congregation we constitute one visible manifestation of Yeshua’s body.
