Pastor Jack Hayford, a pioneer in Christian Zionism, passed away at the age of 88 on Sunday.

Pastor Hayford was an American author, Pentecostal minister, and Chancellor Emeritus of The King’s University in Texas. Pastor Hayford spent 30 years ministering at The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California which has grown to more than 12,000 members. He is also known for writing more than 500 songs including the popular hymn “Majesty”, which is rated as one of the top 100 contemporary hymns and performed and sung in churches worldwide. He was also a prolific and best-selling writer, authoring or co-authoring more than fifty books.

Pastor Hayford was a founding pioneer in the pro-Israel movement in Christianity. He led faith-based tours to Israel, leading thousands of Christians to the Holy Land at least 40 times.

His Christian love of Israel was perhaps best expressed in an article he wrote in 2002 titled, “Why Stand With Israel Today?”

“Israel is a land about which God says uniquely, prophetically, redemptively, and repeatedly in the Bible ‘This is Mine’,” the article began. “God refers to Israel as He does to no other land on Earth. Israel was raised up to be a light to the Gentiles.”

“The Church at its inception was virtually entirely Jewish, and it remained so until the Gospel began to spread,” it continued.

“We are living in a sobering moment in history that calls us, as believers in Jesus Christ, to take a stand with Israel,” the pastor wrote. “We could be people of the last hour. We are not to be passive in the face of prophecy; we are called to pray with passion, to intercede, and to minister according to the words of the Savior who said it is not our task to speculate when the end will be. It is our responsibility to do Kingdom business until He comes (Luke 19:13).

The pastor argued that his call was not about politics.

“This is about the Word of God, but the political ramifications are extremely dramatic,” he explained. “Scripture declares there will come a time when all the nations of the world will turn against Israel. It is so highly conceivable this could happen in our time that it is critical to outline why we should stand with Israel today.”

Pastor Hayford then outlined eight reasons Christians should stand with Israel. Among the reasons, he emphasized that the covenant God made with the Biblical patriarchs concerning the land of Israel is still in effect today. He also stated that the threats to the Jews and Israel are also directed at Christians today. 

David Nekrutman, the author of “Your Sabbath Invitation”, has been building bridges between Israel-loving Christians and Jews. He wrote a touching tribute to Pastor Hayford on his Facebook page.

“I just heard the news of Pastor Hayford’s passing,” Nekrutman wrote. “To the Hayford family and all those who have been influenced by him; May God comfort you.”

“I had the honor to meet pastor Hayford in May of 2002, during my time as director of Christian affairs at the Israeli consulate in New York, he flew in for a major meeting of Christian leaders at the consulate to meet with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rabbi Michael Melchior, which was coordinated by Bishop Robert Stearns and me.

Nekrutman related to Pastor Hayford’s role in establishing the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

“It was Pastor Hayford, who suggested that the day should be near the Day of Atonement,” Nekrutman wrote. “His reasoning was that although the individual Christian is not convicted by the church’s past history of anti-Semitism toward the Jewish people, we have a responsibility to ensure that it never happens again. The Day of Atonement will remind us of this responsibility.”

“Thank you, Pastor Hayford, for years of service to the kingdom of God, as well as standing in the gap for Israel,” Nekrutman concluded. “This included a love for all who live in the land.”

Jonathan Feldstein, the president of Run for Zion, was a friend of Pastor Hayford and was influenced by his love for Israel.

“Pastor Jack was known for many things, including his unabashed love for Israel and the Jewish people,” Feldstein said. “This support was not simply on an individual basis between the pastor and a select group of friends. He set the standard for many in the church today. His physical and theological fingerprints are all over Israel today. He supported Israel and the Jews because God commanded him to bless Israel. But it was also a constant source of spiritual inspiration for him.”

“I didn’t get to speak with him often but when I did, he had an incredible ability to make me feel like I was the only person in the world at that moment. But he also made it clear that through me he was connecting to all of Jewish history and the Jewish people.” 

According to Feldstein, the pastor “embodied a remarkable level of grace that was magnified in his interactions related to Israel.” 

“I got to experience this through his enthusiastic support and endorsement of projects I was working on,” he said. “It was simply magnificent to be in his presence. These were conversations that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

Rabbi Pesach Wolicki,  Director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, mourned the passing.

“Jack Hayford’s contribution to Christian support for Israel is immeasurable. He was one of the first and most prominent Christian leaders to speak of a mandate to love and support the Jewish people, with no conversionary agenda. He taught Christians that their attitude towards Jews must be one of gratitude, love, and respect.”