Everlasting Life Outreach Founders
Michael & Mimi Finesilver

LEADERSHIP

Michael Finesilver, Founder and Executive Director

In 1975, Michael received Jesus into his heart as Lord and Savior, and has since sought to walk with Him daily. For 30 years, he earned a living doing home remodeling. He has always felt a burden to share with people about the good news of salvation through the Messiah. Michael was involved in the Evangelism Explosion (E.E.) ministry with his home church (Frazer Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama) and also with a previous church. “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!” (1 Cor. 9:16). As for Jewish evangelism, he has said, “I am in the unique position, being Jewish, to be able to relate to other Jewish people and share why a Jewish person not only can but should believe in Jesus.” His parents retired to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1995. He and his wife began viewing their visits to see Michael’s parents as “short-term mission opportunities.” He would engage in conversation Jewish people who lived in his parents’ condominium complex (as well as in their favorite bagel joint!), and the Lord would provide for the conversation to turn to spiritual issues. So few of these people had ever had the Gospel presented to them! And some were open for further discussion. With each trip to South Florida, the call to work in this mission field became more and more evident to both Michael and to his wife. As they spoke to their pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, as well as to other leaders at Frazer Memorial, the call was confirmed.

Mimi Finesilver, Co-founder and Director of Communications

Several months after being brought to her Messiah, while Mimi was attending a congregation of Jewish believers, she heard a song, “Come Back People.” This song is a musical plea to the Jewish people to see that God has heard their cries. Mimi began weeping, believing the emotion she was experiencing was simply a shadow of the passion God carries in His heart to have the Jewish people know His faithfulness. This was in the late 1980s and still she cannot read passages, either from the Torah or from the Prophets, without experiencing that same passion which she affirms is from God: "'For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you . . . with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you’ says the Lord, your Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:7-8) – and from the New Testament, when Jesus laments “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . “ in Matthew 23, and when Peter in 1 Peter speaks of the chief cornerstone that the builders rejected, in all these, she experiences a deep sadness. She has said, “I do not believe this is out of sentiment but rather God has graciously allowed me to see into His heart and I believe He has done so that I might be an instrument to carry His message to ‘Come back people, your Redeemer is nigh.’”