My name is Jerry Kaifetz. I was born in Paris France right after WW II. My father was a G.I. whose unit received two Bronze Stars, and my mother was the first war bride and a passenger on the first passenger transatlantic flight.
I grew up in France as well as the U.S., attending public schools in Plattsburgh N.Y. and also Paris. My family had a small villa on the French Riviera where I spent many summers. I returned to France as a professional skier in my late twenties.
I have been a Christian since 1983. Just a few months after God’s grace and mercy opened the door to my salvation at a little Baptist church outside of San Diego, He also called me to proclaim the unsearchable riches of the Word of God.
Within a few short months of having placed my personal faith in Jesus Christ as the atonement for my sins, I sold or gave away all that I had and went off to Bible college. The more I learned, the more I realized I didn’t know and the more I wanted to learn. That process culminated in a B.S. in Pastoral Theology and a Th.M. in Pastoral theology, as well as a Ph.D. in philosophy in religion.
During these years, a host of other events and blessings flowed abundantly into my life. A small truck washing business that I started in Bible college soon grew. Before long I had come up with some chemical formulas for products used in that trade. Now with over two dozen products developed, the truck washing business has given way to a successful chemical company, Omega Chemical, which sells these products to the truck washing industry nationwide. ( omegachemical.com.) I have had the good fortune to be twice named to Who’s Who publications, including Who’s Who Among Leading American Business Executives, a testimony to God’s continued hand of blessing and guidance throughout the years.
Parallel to the business activities that have occupied my life has been a ongoing and heartfelt hunger and dedication to disseminate the great truths of God’s Word through churches. I have been an associate pastor and an interim pastor, as well as having spoken in many churches throughout the years. Having come to Christ through the door-to-door outreach of a local church, I have always had a heart for fulfilling the Great Commission. I have had the great privilege these many years of leading many to Christ “from house to house,”in the great tradition of the early Church. I was the recipient of The Sword of the Lord Award For Evangelism in 1986. I have taught hundreds of pastors on the subject of personal evangelism, differing from some the methods of some by placing strong and primary emphasis on the role of repentance and sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirt in making the best use of the many fields “white unto harvest” that surround us all.
Before coming to Christ, my life was one that most people would find exciting, fast moving and even glamorous. Having lived all over the world, and educated in the capital of Western art and culture, as well as Ivy League schools in the U.S., God has enabled me to bring to my ministry a meaningful and worthwhile perspective framed in a setting that never fails to hold people’s attention. My many years of international ski racing experience and sporting exploits around the world provide a richness of illustrative power that keeps the attention of young and old focused on my perpetual conclusion: the greatest excitement that the world has to offer pales in comparison to the deeper thrills and inner satisfaction of truly giving one’s heart to God and co-laboring with the Creator of the Universe in bringing people to the liberating truths of Jesus Christ.
I am the author of World Class Truth, a book for Christian teenagers on my experiences as a professional skier and adventurer. This book, first published in 1990, is an expression of Paul’s great sentiment of Philippians 3:8: “Yea doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ.”
World Class Truth is a journey into adventure, thrilling exploits and far away settings in which the reader comes to see plainly and in detail the very best that the world has to offer. There is no doubt that the first thirty years of my life were experiences of privilege, glamor and exhilaration. The purpose of the book is to provide an honest and sincere comparison: how in fact does the Christian life compare to the best the world has to offer? Every honest young person who reads this book will come to the conclusion that the Apostle Paul did in Philippians 3:8. Every parent, youth pastor and pastor will find great support in having those in their charge experience these adventurous accounts and Christ-honoring conclusions.
I have also written a children’s book called The Little Drop of Water Who Learned to Give Himself Away as well as many articles for Christian and secular publications. I have been interviewed by the N.Y. Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Sun Times, CNN, CBN and a host of other media.
I have taught for many years on Creation Science and the fallacies of Evolution. I have taught my 26-week course on Creation Science with convincing results: the faith of believers is dramatically strengthened while the doubts of skeptics are persuasively confronted. It is unlikely that those believing in or compromising with evolutionary theory could emerge from this course without great doubts as to this deceptive and faulty theory. I have been blessed in my Christian life to be able to use an academic background that includes training at the Institute For Creation Research, where my Ph.D. thesis is now part of the graduate research library. I owe a great deal to Dr. Henry Morris, who was a regular speaker in my home church and who greatly helped to undergird the foundation of my early Christian beliefs with sound science.
I am predominantly an expository preacher with a biblically centered message and ministry.
The Kaifetz family includes my wife Gwen, a former Christian school teacher and mother of our two grown children, Michael and Elisa. Both of our children were home-schooled.
My testimony has been shared with millions, often with copious blessings coming upon us from the Holy Spirit. Having been raised in the Jewish faith and come to Christ as an adult, this is a testimony that never fails to hold peoples’ attention. From the Red Sea to the French Riviera, to the top of mountains and the bottom of the world’s oceans, my testimony gives a dramatic evidence as to the failure of the world’s allure and excitement to compete with the riches of God’s amazing grace and to the joys of a life genuinely lived for Jesus Christ. You can hear my testimony on The Unshackled Radio Program where it was produced as a radio drama:
Jerry D. Kaifetz, Ph.D.
Dear Dr. Kaifetz,
Thanks for sharing your testimony on yur website. I belong to a congregation in Hammond, Indiana and I have to admit, I have been disheartened by what has happened to the leader of our church. Your testimony as well as your posts here on this blog has encouraged me that if you have deep relationship with Jesus, nothing can really move your faith. I am encouraged by the success as well as the experiences that you have shared here but the most important thing that Ive gathered from your testimony is giving God the glory and true happiness can be found in a deep walk with Jesus. I needed all the encouragement that you have written on this blog in the tumult of the recent events.
Thank you, Talitha. I sincerely appreciate your comments. Yes, people will let you down, but you are correct in understanding that when Jesus is the object and focus of one’s faith, that He will ALWAYS be there for you. “He set my feet upon a rock,” and He IS that rock. A lot has swirled around it, but that rock will never move. How wise you are to understand that in the midst of the current turmoil. I would say to you to take heart, that MUCH help and encouragement is on the way for the people of your church. God has not forgotten about you, so please keep that in mind in the days to come, as this will become more and more important. I am praying for you.
Jerry I was so hurt by my old Church that I have been struggling to move on.. I was there for 12 years until my husband died and my son left disabled in an accident. I backslided and was told horrible things by the apostle condemned me big time. I came to the realization I was in a cult after he preached about me and told everyone all the secrets I had confessed to him. Many things were said about me leaving me ashamed and turned from God for a season. The Lord Visit me and for the first time told me my Grace is sufficient for you. My church magnified grace is not a license to sin but failed to teach save by grace. We were an image based works based church. No one comes out of there healthy but hurt usually leaving Jesus al together. I found you in you tube Searching for info on cults your 5part series have confirmed that I was indeed in a cult. I got kingdom of cults book but honestly have difficulty with it. I live in NYC and need healing from the trauma my children and me have gone through. Do u or anyone u recommend do any conferences on life after the church? Many have come out of there and love Christ but hate the church. How do we recover? Help….
As Christians, we are on a walk with Jesus. From the hymns of “how He walks with me and He talks with me” to the poem Footprints, we are constantly reminded of this. If you have reached the point where your walk has taken you past where your church is, it’s God telling you to catch up and move on. There is no perfect church, as there are no perfect people. You will never be able to find a Pastor that you agree with 100% of the time. These men are called by God to preach (most of them, there are some fakers) but they are not infallible.
It may take some time to find the best place for you, and you may find it in an unlikely place. Listen to your heart and what hear where God is calling you to go. He never calls people to leave His family
Hate is not a good place to start. The first thing you must be able to do is forgive them in your heart, pray for the relationship between you. I have read much hate in blogs by this man, brought on by frustration, to be sure. But just because someone has a PhD in theology or any of the long list of personal accolades he gives to himself to prove his superiority over those he is disgusted with, it doesn’t make Him right.
There are better places to go for help on such things. I hope by now you have found some decent advice other than mine. But this man is consumed by hate, so much that he makes his living by spreading it.
Mark, I hate no one. God, however, wrote a who chapter in the Bible to list those whom he hates (Psalm 5), certainly hates. Did God sin? Does His morality not rise to the level of yours?. You are also miles from understanding forgiveness. Bible forgiveness is always based on repentance, a non-existent commodity at FBC Hammond or in the life of Jack Hyles. Schaap is in prison & he has none. This has never been about finding “the perfect church.” Your premise that we should overlook the abuse of innocence because we cannot achieve perfection is DESPICABLE, wicked, evil, perverted and godless. You are an enabler and excuser of the vilest of sins. I feel as if I now need a shower because I have engaged such a person on this issue. You are on thin ice with Jesus Christ, Mark Baker.
Jack you are a bright and shining light calling a spade a spade. What you are saying is my biggest argument with Fundy Baptists. They continue to associate with and fellowship with corrupt people or organizations who never truly repented. Yet they would separate and speak badly of our brothers in Christ from the Eastern Orthodox Church who by the thousands our proclaiming their faith in Christ to the ISIS Headsmen. I don’t see many American Fundy Baptist heads rolling. They would probably say Allah Acaba before the Headsman even asked the question. I also include myself in that statement.
Greetings Jerry,
From an older ski bum, ski racer ,ski patroller, with a very similar background as you may already know. Not at all surprised to find you have accomplished great things as your competitive sprit shines through. Keep up your good works which are needed more than ever now in the face of our nation headed in the wrong direction. Our faith is our strength.
Best Regards,
Your old neighbor.
Dear Mr Jerry I must complement you for the tremendous work you’re doing. However the five part series you did on the topic HOW A GOOD CHURCH BECOMES A CULT is so profound, I can testify that everything you said is true, I have experience all those things, I knew something was wrong but I did’nt know what it was un til I began to study.thanks may god bless you.
Jerry as I do not agree with you your website has compelled me to do further research as you are truly knowledgeable in the ways of Christianity
I read your advertisement for chemicals used in the pressure washing industry, noted the Doctor part, and looked you up on the internet, sadly only hoping to find an Excel chart with your products, uses, dilutions, costs, etc. Then I found that you were a Christian, interested in the Hebrew flavor of Christianity, an author, et al. Well, I ended up reading most of your letter to the classically almost omnipotent Baptist Senior Minister. Alas, that story is so prevailing. I suppose that is because most Baptist ministers are the only elders in their churches. This must be especially true for an Independent Baptist church, though I hear the same thing about Southern Baptists. If you are the only elder, you rule the roost. In any case, I am sorry for what you have had to endure both and in the other instances you listed. You are not alone.
In the style of the apostle Paul, let me say that there was a certain man who has the letters of a doctor behind his name, though most people he knows are not aware of this. He was also educated from here and there. He was also educated and experienced in the ministry, as are you. Yet, he only wishes he was an author as you are.
I say these things only to let you know that this certain man understands much of whence you came and of which you were made, as well as, sharing the same blood and Spirit, as you have. Furthermore, this certain man scares the local preachers, even when he hides his worldly qualifications. How could this be? Quite simply, the preachers are afraid that this certain man will be compared to them by the preacher’s parishioners. Thus, in church after church, preachers have found all manner of polite excuses not to use his talents, ignore his accomplished history, and make no mention of his more publicly acclaimed works. Ah yes, being ignored, held at a distance, being silenced without trial, yes, being shunned is worse than being physically beaten. Since people, imperfect people, keep coming into the church, is it such an unbelievable thing that sometimes people, good people in the church, are shunned without so much as the formality of saying it, cowardly as it is. It is a very effective means of maintaining their power. Demonizing people while having made no official accusations, is wrong, but we do agree that it is even more effective because they have less to defend and their deniable culpability is increased.. After all, they plead to the ill-informed pew fillers, they were not the ones making waves. They will say it was that one who is no longer here’s problem. Now that he is gone, there is no problem. Yes, you made mention of how people will react incorrectly after you leave.
You may have had to leave that church. From the information you gave, it is a surety that you were persecuted from within the fold. That hurts worse than being hurt from outside of the brotherhood, as you have experienced.
However, I wonder if you dealt with this in the most expeditious manner. Would it not be better to be wronged? Forgiveness for their sins against you, if they were sins, would require you to bear the cost of their wrongs, especially if you could not get justice from within the church. You know this line of reasoning.
Do not think that I am determining the best way for you to deal with this situation (Matt 18:15ff notwithstanding). Consider this certain man, a brother still living on this orb, one who is undergoing similar treatment.
• He needs your prayers for wisdom for his own situation.
• He is tired of reaching out to help others, only to be treated as you have been treated.
• Without any one in a higher position of authority in the local church (he agrees with the independent nature of churches with which you identify yourself), he finds that complaining to the masses on the internet, or to the much smaller number of congregants, would not help the situation, even though it would be a legitimate step towards justice.
• He thinks that sometimes we have to leave justice, the core purpose of the government, to the government, and to treat these incorrigible cases of brother hurting another brother with grace, a core purpose of the church.
• We, like the apostle Paul, have to be willing to pour out our blood as a drink offering for the church, flawed as she is.
• Instead of making our case known before the masses outside the church from whom we may indeed gather their agreement that we have been wronged by the Church, there may be a better way.
• It may be better that we, ourselves, should bear the cost and not lose the greater good for the Church, even at the cost of our own freedoms in Christ, and even at the loss our own rights in Christ, and even at the cost of being unrightly dishonored by the Church, until the Lord comes as the judge of the universe to set all aright. Why not rather, be wronged?
• Peace be with you brother. May the Holy Spirit guide you in this matter.
• Maranatha!
Jerome, you make some excellent points and observations. I believe that forgiveness is only extended on the basis of biblical repentance, so as to not minimize the offense or enable the offender. That said, there should always be a willingness, if not even an inclination to forgive to keep anger in check. That has always been my path, and it brings great peace.
I found your blog through some links. Do you have a regular website where your books can be purchased and do you have your creation series available as an online series?
I thank you.
Yes. AmazonBooks.com. thanks!