Robert Stearns

Robert Stearns is an American pastor and evangelist who founded Eagles Wings Ministries located in Clarence, New York and currently pastors the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Orchard Park, New York. A "leading voice in the Christian Zionist movement,"[1] Stearns is the leader and was the co-founder of the annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, the single largest international Christian Zionist event, during which thousands of churches worldwide pray for the peace of Jerusalem.[2][3][4][5] Currentaly he resides in Clarence, New York.

Bishop

Robert Stearns
Personal
Born
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
ReligionChristianity (evangelical Protestantism)
Children3
DenominationPentecostal
EducationUniversity of Valley Forge
ProfessionEvangelist, Pentecostal Bishop
ChurchEagles Wings Ministries
Full Gospel Tabernacle
Senior posting
PredecessorTommy Reid
ProfessionEvangelist, Pentecostal Bishop
PostFull Gospel Tabernacle Bishop (2013-present)
Websiteeagleswings.org/robert-stearns/

Early career and founding Eagles Wings

Stearns lived in Jerusalem in the 1990s working for the International Christian Embassy and it was there where he discovered and studied Judeo-Christian relations and roots of Judaism in Christianity.[6]:1[7][8]

Upon returning home to Buffalo, New York, Robert discussed the possibilities of founding a pro-Israel ministry with Reverend Thomas F. Reid, the senior leader and bishop of the Full Gospel Tabernacle. The new ministry Stearns founded is called Eagles Wings.[9][10][11]

Stearns was one of the original directors of Christians United for Israel.

Eagles Wings and Israel

Stearns founded the Eagles Wings program, a main component of which is sponsoring trips to Israel. Bishop Stearns has brought over 25,000 people to the Holy Land,.[12] and has led "dozens" of Christian delegations to visit Israel.[13]

He established the "Israel Experience College Scholarship Program," usually called "Israel Experience," a Christian equivalent of Birthright Israel, which brings college age students to Israel.[8][14] The first group, a "pilot" trip with eleven participants visited Israel in June 2004.[15]

Stearns is a staunch advocate for the state of Israel, oftentimes meeting with foreign governments to help formulate and direct their politics towards Israel.[16][17] In 2008 he was the Northeast regional director of Christians United for Israel.[18] He was one of the founders and original directors of Christians United for Israel (CUFI) .[2][19]

Bishop Stearns has spoken to audiences such as the House of Lords in London and the Israeli Knesset.[20] Stearns, who sees Israel as threatened by other countries in the region, has declared his willingness to die defending Israel.[6]:117

While Stearns would like all people to become Christian, he "strictly avoids proselytizing" Jews.[6]:94

He was an outspoken proponent to moving the United States Embassy to Jerusalem.[21]

Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

Stearns, along with evangelist Jack W. Hayford, created an event called the Global Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, celebrated in churches worldwide and with a major gathering in the Holy Land of Israel one day a year. It is the largest Christian Zionist event, endorsed by the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus the event involves congregants in 200,000 churches in 175 nations worldwide praying for peace in Israel and its surrounding nations.[22][23][20] The event has attracted Israeli and United States officials such as former Senator Joe Lieberman and United States Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman.[24]

Stearns co-founded of the annual Day of prayer in 2002.[25][2][3][4] It is estimated that in 2019 more than half a million churches and as many as 100 million Christians and Jews around the world participated worldwide in the annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.[26][27][28] The event, held every year on the first Sunday in October, is inspired by the call to pray for Jerusalem in Psalm 122:6,[26] which reads "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee," in the King James Bible.

Books and Music

Stearns has written four books. The first was Prepare the Way,[22] followed by Keepers of the Flame, The Cry of Mordecai, and most recently, No We Can't. All of his books are based on biblical beliefs.[20]

In addition to his four books, Robert released a solo album entitled The Impossible Dream and performed at the 15th anniversary ceremony of the September 11 attacks in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.[29][30][31]

Preaching

Stearns preaches that "God has a plan, a purpose, a destiny for your life," using Biblical examples such as Esther, "an average, ordinary, everyday person who life had not dealt a good hand to," and yet "God had a plan for Esther."[32][33]

On seeking converts

Because Christianity is an evangelizing religion, Stearns is often accused of[2] or asked about seeking to convert Jews to Christianity. The question has sometimes been framed as, "As a Christian, how can you not want to convert us?" his response is, "Of course I would love to see you become Christians, but I would never seek to convert you." He explains that as an Evangelical Christian he believes that Christians and Jews have specific roles in God's plan, and that he personally has "too much respect" for the Jewish people to suggest that any Jew should become something else.[34]

Full Gospel Tabernacle

In July 2013, Stearns was named as the bishop of a historic church in Orchard Park, New York, called the Full Gospel Tabernacle. He succeeded the church's longtime leader, Bishop Thomas F. Reid.[35]

References
  1. Tibon, Amir (15 May 2019). "A Year After Embassy Move, U.S. Evangelicals Look for New Israel Challenge". Haaretz. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  2. Tabachnick, Rachel (22 March 2015). "Meet Bibi's New Tribulation-Courting, Jew-Converting, Demon-Exorcising American Allies". Daily Beast. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  3. Weisz, Tuly (27 October 2018). "Unto the nations". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  4. Falk, Gerhard (2006). The Restoration of Israel: Christian Zionism in Religion, Literature, and Politics. American University Studies. p. 48. ISBN 0820488623.
  5. https://thegoodnewsnewyork.com/robert-stearns-flight-of-faith-mounting-up-and-soaring-with-eagles-wings-ministries-that-is/
  6. Spector, Stephen (2008). Evangelicals and Israel The Story of American Christian Zionism. Oxford. ISBN 0195368029.
  7. Glatt, Benjamin (19 March 2017). "Evangelicals' role is to be an 'articulate advocate' for Israel, Eagles' Wings founder says Rev. Robert Stearns says he sees an even stronger relationship between Jews and Christians in near future". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  8. Berman, Daphna (18 June 2004). "Christians Want a Birthright Program, Too". Haaretz. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  9. Durbin, Sean (2018). Righteous Gentiles: Religion, Identity, and Myth in John Hagee’s Christians United for Israel. Brill. p. 108. ISBN 9004385002.
  10. "About".
  11. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/David-Nekrutman-Connecting-Christians-610505
  12. "Ministry Travel". December 19, 2017.
  13. "Trump Rolls Out the Big Guns for pro-Israel Evangelicals' Confab Ahead of 2020". Haaretz. 6 July 2019.
  14. Lefkovits, Etgar (28 June 2006). "'Christian Birthright' reaches out to young Israel supporters". Jerusaelm Post.
  15. Gilbert, Nina (17 June 2014). "Christian Americans learning how to be Israeli emissaries". Jerusalem Post.
  16. "Meet the pastors behind Brazil's new pro-Israel foreign policy". JNS.org. November 29, 2018.
  17. Tibon, Amir (September 29, 2019). "Pro-Trump and Biased Toward Israel? These U.S. Evangelicals Are Challenging the 'Base'" – via Haaretz.
  18. Weiner, Robert (18 September 2008). "Pro-Israel Evangelicals will rally in Cranford". Jewish Journal.
  19. Fingerhut, Eric (6 July 2006). "Around the Beltway". Washington Jewish Week.
  20. "Robert Stearns".
  21. "Moving the Embassy to Jerusalem Shows That the U.S. Is Committed to Peace". www.nytimes.com.
  22. Tabachnick, Rachel (Winter 2009). "The New Christian Zionism and the Jews". Public Eye Magazine. 25 (1): 23.
  23. "Eagles' Wings Evangelical org hosts day of Prayer for Jerusalem peace". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  24. Parke, Caleb (October 7, 2019). "100 million Christians and Jews pray for Jerusalem peace in global event featuring US ambassador to Israel". Fox News.
  25. "Hundreds of Millennial Evangelicals Gather in Jerusalem to Pray". Charisma. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  26. Park, Caleb (7 October 2019). "100 million Christians and Jews pray for Jerusalem peace in global event featuring US ambassador to Israel". Fox News. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  27. Smith, Samuel (8 October 2019). "Churches worldwide take part in evangelical-led 'Global Day of Prayer for Jerusalem'". The Christian Post. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  28. Stahl, Julie (8 October 2019). "Millions of Christians on Every Continent Pause to Pray for Peace of Jerusalem". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dxnQGoW5HE
  30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfD_Kfg4IbU
  31. Chicoine, Christie (14 September 2016). "FDNY 9/11 Faithful Remembered With Reverence at Cathedral Service". Catholic New York. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  32. Durbin, Sean. “Walking in the Mantle of Esther: ‘Political’ Action as ‘Religious’ Practice.” Comprehending Christian Zionism: Perspectives in Comparison, edited by Göran Gunner and Robert O. Smith, Augsburg Fortress, Publishers, Minneapolis, 2014, pp. 85–124. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9m0srs.8. Accessed 8 Jan. 2020.
  33. Stearns, Robert. "Netanyahu as Mordechai, America as Esther". Charisma (magazine). Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  34. Culwin, Clifford (27 March 2008). ""As a Christian, how can you not want to convert us?" Stearns had clearly fielded this question before. "Of course I would love to see you become Christians," he said, "but I would never seek to convert you." He explained that Evangelicals view Christians and Jews alike as having a specific role in God's plan. Besides, he simply has "too much respect" for the Jewish people ever to suggest that any individual Jew should become something else". New Jersey Jewish News.
  35. "Bishop Robert Stearns".
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