BECOMING ECHAD FOUNDER

Emily became Torah Observant and egalitarian all at the same time around 2007 to 2008. After being raised in Assembly of God and Calvary Chapel churches, as a young adult she began reading her Bible herself for the first time. She discovered what she’d been taught about restrictions on women weren’t in the Bible, and many of the laws actually in the Bible hadn’t been taught.

She was passionately egalitarian in her first marriage, believing that to be the key to working well together. She encouraged couples to make mutually agreeable decisions and not be jerks- how much more could there be to it? But after her first husband went to prison, she discovered she had a lot to learn about the dynamics of abuse, addiction, and mental health. She now recognizes egalitarianism and Torah Observance as foundational pieces on which a couple can build an emotionally healthy and spiritually intimate relationship.

Now she is married to Daniel Ferguson who is both Torah Observant and egalitarian, and together they are pursuing becoming echad (one) together through their relationship with Yeshua.

Emily founded the Becoming Echad Facebook groups and this website to share things as she learns them, and to facilitate conversations about marriage, women in ministry, and men and women as coworkers in the Kingdom from a uniquely Torah Observant and egalitarian perspective.

Erica is a devoted wife, mother, pastor, speaker, and business owner who is committed to serving God's people by teaching on the significance of Bible context and translating it into practical, everyday applications.

She serves as a Youth and Senior Pastor alongside her husband at Hebraic Family Fellowship of DFW. She's a speaker at Messiah Meetings, Women of Merit, Surge Women's Conference, Texas Tabernacles, and Saturday Church Community. One of her favorite things to do is work with teens at Camp Yeshua, Messiah Texas, and Covenant Youth Camps during the summer and serves as the Director of Youth and Young Adults for Texas Tabernacles.

Erica considers it an honor that her life stands as a testament that God calls women into leadership roles, right alongside their brothers in Messiah. She eagerly anticipates the next steps God has in store for her journey!

Jonathan Brown (MBA, Western Governors University; M.A., Liberty University) is a Messianic writer and teacher with Kehillat Yeshua Ministries, and Torah Apologetics. A former pastor of Nehemiah Restoration Fellowship, Jonathan holds a master’s degree in Biblical Languages, with aspirations to pursue a PhD in Theology.

Jonathan was raised third generation in a Torah Observant Christian home and has interacted with many people in the Messianic Movement at various levels over many years. Jonathan is a staunch and outspoken supporter of Torah Observant egalitarianism in the home as well as in ministry. He currently resides in the Dallas, TX area with his wife Elisabeth, their five children, and many pets.

I have almost always had an Egalitarian view without knowing that was what it was called. It has been a really encouraging experience to see the beauty displayed in understanding how we are all just as valuable and have so much to offer in the Body of Messiah, no matter what gender or giftings we have. I have been through a lot of different and difficult things in my life, and have really been passionate about the process to grow and heal on a body, soul, and spirit level. Ministry to the hearts of others if often where I have landed. I am very grateful that Abba blessed me with a husband who also is like-minded in all of these things and we often get to do ministry side by side. I’m excited to see what Abba has for all of us, as we get to fellowship with one another.

Raised in a Presbyterian church (USA) until as a teen I became agnostic. About age 27 I had a Paul like experience and was reborn. I was water baptized and baptized in the Holy Spirit, and moved by my company from Michigan to Kingston, New York all in a month. I joined a charismatic nondenominational church where I met my first wife and had 2 kids. But the marriage was not working and I knew I needed to divorce. My teen daughter asked me what was the Scriptural basis for my divorce? Through tears, I eventually found David Instone-Brewer's website and books on marriage and divorce and realized I had made big mistakes in interpretation due to my lack of knowledge of first century culture. I made some powerpoint slides to teach my home group, as some there were in similar situations. Later a friend challenged me on the idea of a husband being the benign leader/tie breaker. I studied a book and repented and became egalitarian/mutualist. I kept wanting to know more about the Jewish context of Scripture and found some I kept learning from, recently saying I am a Messianic (Gentile).