We have been talking quite a bit about the word ‘evangelism this past summer. That is because “Need Oriented Evangelism” was our lowest quality factor in our Natural Church Development survey. The Health team and I have concluded that the word itself is a problem no matter how we define or discuss it. In Los Angeles in the 21st century ‘Evangelism’ has come to mean accosting strangers and sometimes friends to convince them that they are going to hell unless they join ‘our’ church. It just doesn’t seem to be Episcopalian. It just isn’t behaving “Decently and in Order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40)
Jesus never went about accosting people. They came to him, or he initiated a natural conversation. Evangelism is supposed to be sharing the Good News: That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that all who believe in him will have everlasting life. (John 3:6) The joy and passion to share this good news compelled people through 2000 years to try to convince others of its truth. Jesus gave the Great Commission at his ascension. “Go into the world and baptize…” (Matthew 28:19) and people have tried to live up to it. It is a basic duty of being a Christian.
How we do it is the question. There is a need and place and time for one on one evangelism and countless lives have been changed because of it. But there is another and perhaps more effective way to share the Good News. Our NCD Mentor describes it as the Celtic model rather than the Roman model. The Roman is what we usually think of: confrontational and even argumentative.
The Celtic model of sharing the Good News is about relationship building. We begin as friends develop mutual respect and share. I find it fascinating that some of the greatest figures of the Church lived in pluralistic times when Christianity was not dominant or in control. St. Patrick in Ireland, St Augustine in Hippo and Thomas Aquinas all spent their lives and developed their faith surrounded by pagan, Jewish and Muslim religions. They shared and befriended and spoke for the Truth of Christianity and won thousand s to the faith.
So we are not going to use the word ‘Evangelism. ‘ We are going to live in our faith so that others may see it.
