Stephen Katz has been a missionary to the Jewish people for 35 years. He began serving with Jews for Jesus in 1989, first in Los Angeles and then leading branches in San Francisco and Washington, DC. He oversaw the ministry’s work in Israel for 12 years before becoming North American director. He currently serves as chief of staff, supporting global teams, especially in matters relating to reporting, logistics, staffing, and facilities.

In 2006, Stephen led a team that pioneered evangelistic ministry to Hasidic Jewish communities throughout New York. Hasidic Jews, a subset of ultra-Orthodox Jews, are completely unreached with the message and teachings of Jesus. In 2018, he again led a team to bring the gospel to Haredi and Hasidic Jewish communities in Jerusalem, and in 2020, he launched a full-time ministry team to these communities in New York.

Stephen was raised in a traditional Jewish home in the Chicago area and became a follower of Jesus as Messiah at the age of 18. Before entering ministry, he was a social worker for a decade. Stephen holds master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and Fuller Theological Seminary. The Katzes have four married children and eight grandchildren.