Pioneering in Europe

After nearly a year in Texas, David and Maria left for Europe. By this time several Children of God (COG) communities were flourishing in the U.S., and David was already looking for new regions to evangelize. They traveled extensively, scouting out possible locations for new outposts.

Pioneering

David and Maria spent several months in Israel, where David had hoped to establish a COG commune. He was soon disappointed to find, however, that there were actually very few similarities between his brand of Christian communalism and the cooperative lifestyle of the Israeli kibbutzim. Additionally, the Jewish state was officially opposed to missionary activity, thus making it unsuitable for his zealous young Christian evangelists.

While in Israel, David reversed his position on one of his fundamental doctrines, namely that the Jews were God's chosen people, above other peoples. At the time he explained:

There's no such thing as a Jewish Christian, any more than there's such a thing as a gentile Christian, or a black Christian, or a white Christian, or a male or a female Christian, for all are one in Christ Jesus! You're only a Christian, that's all you are in God's eyes--just a Christian! He doesn't see your color, your nationality, or your gender! ... You either belong to Jesus or you don't! To hell with all the rest of the differences, discriminations, and prejudices! [1]

  1. "One Way," published in 1971.