N a z a r e t h – One hundred years after their founding, Baptists in Israel are still not officially recognized. That fact was lamented at the 100th birthday celebration, of the Baptist Union, which includes 19 churches with 800 members, on September 23rd, in Nazareth, Israel. The celebration was jointly hosted by the Israeli Union of Baptist Churches, the Baptist school in Nazareth, and the European Baptist Federation (EBF), which was meeting in Nazareth, September 21-25, for their annual council. As the director of the school, Botrus Mansour, said, the Baptist church is now seeking official recognition as a member of the Union of evangelical churches in Israel, which was founded in 2005. This union includes, along with the Baptists, the Church of God, the Nazarenes, and the Plymouth Brethren. They have come together as the evangelical minority in a Jewish-Muslim dominated country in order to have a greater influence on social policies. Official recognition as “evangelicals” is required for weddings, funerals, tax advantages, and easier obtainment of visas for foreign guests and volunteers. EBF Secretary General Tony Peck (Prague) promised to support this cause, and to write a letter to the Israeli government. The Baptist school in Nazareth was founded in 1950. One thousand students from pre-school through twelfth grade, including numerous Muslims, are educated there. According to information from the Israeli government, it is among the four best schools in the whole country. Over and over, students from the school are awarded international prizes. The first Baptist church in the former Palestine was founded in 1911 by an Arab Christian in Nazareth, who came to faith in Jesus Christ in the United States. After the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, the work of the Baptists nearly broke down entirely, as many Baptists fled to other countries. The rebuilding began in 1950, through the work of American missionaries. Fifty five Baptist Unions in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, with about 800,000 members, belong to the European Baptist Federation. The president is Hans Guderian of Germany (Berlin); the Secretary General is Tony Peck of Great Britain (Prague).