Dear New McKendree Church Family,

When you think of the word “evangelism,” what comes to mind? Does it conjure mental images of the stereotypical smooth-talking TV preacher fleecing his flock? Perhaps the thought of “doing evangelism” brings to mind questions such as “If I tell people that ‘our way’ (Jesus’ way) is the ‘right way,’ isn’t that the same as saying that ‘their way’ (other religions or no religion) is the ‘wrong way’? Or, maybe you’re of the mind that evangelism is all about saving souls for Christ and, therefore, your duty as a Christian. These are just a few examples of what comes to people’s minds at the mention of “evangelism.”

Although I’m not sure what to tell you about the TV-preacher stereotype, perhaps I can offer some insight into the “our way” versus “their way” dilemma and the “it’s all about saving souls for Christ” notion. Starting with the “our way/their way” concern, in my opinion, such concerns are a good thing; being concerned about the things that matter most deeply to others is very Christ-like. If you’re not sensitive to the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of others, then that pretty much negates the message of the Gospel anyway. In fact, if there’s one thing we learn from the life and ministry of Jesus, it’s that all his relationships and encounters with others were motivated by and filled with love.

Assuming that this “motivated by love, Jesus-style evangelism” is our objective (and I believe it is), then perhaps it’d be helpful to first come to grips with what Jesus-style evangelism is not. It’s not about coercing or overpowering others. It’s not about arguing or winning “truth debates.” Jesus-style evangelism is about engaging people in the way Christ engaged them, with a love so genuine and transparent that people are drawn into it and ultimately transformed by it. That’s precisely what the early church did. Check out the first few chapters of Acts. The early church didn’t grow because its charter members went around beating people in the head with the truth. Instead, they grew in numbers because people saw how they loved each other and wanted to be part of it. People who’d never experienced love or acceptance before were embraced and loved into wholeness in a community that reflected the spirit of Jesus in very concrete, tangible ways.

Of course, the Church hasn’t always been faithful to Jesus’ style of sharing the Good News. There’ve been times in history when evangelism was more about coercion and violence than anything even remotely resembling love. The crusades and the inquisitions are a couple of prime examples. Even now, there are Christians who prefer to shout curses and threats at others rather than daring to engage them in love. It’s too bad because, to me, loveless evangelism is not evangelism at all.

So, what’s the bottom line? How can we, as Christians, live our lives and share our faith as Jesus-style evangelists?  Martha Grace Reece, one of my favorite authors on the subject, helped me get my arms around what it means to live into our call to be Christ’s evangelists with the reminder that…

“A Christian is ‘a powerful individual on a powerful team.’ It’s a life with no posturing, no pretending. It’s also a life with no fear. Do we believe Jesus is the fullest expression of God and that he came in the ‘fullness of time’ to reveal God to all people? Do we believe that Jesus is the answer to the violence and evil that fills our world (and often our own hearts)? Do we believe we have a message everyone in the world needs to hear? Absolutely! But we’re also guided by the love of Christ, which is not only the heart of our message but also our modus operandi. In other words, as Christians, love is WHO we are and HOW we work.”

Finally, what about the notion that to be a Christian is to be an evangelist, and as evangelists, our only function is to win souls for Christ? In my mind, the first part of that understanding is pretty tough to argue with; being a Christian and sharing our faith go hand in hand. As for the second part—the winning souls for Christ part—it’s misguided at best. The heavy lifting that goes into saving souls and transforming lives is way above our pay grade. That part of the equation, thankfully, falls solely in God’s job description. But, as Christians, we do have an all-important role to play. Our role is simply to be loving witnesses to the love Christ has for all people and to rely on God to do what God does best. Namely, saving souls.

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Bryan Wendling