This edition of the Courier gives front-page emphasis to evangelism. Coverage is provided for the Women’s Lifestyle Evangelism conferences held last weekend in Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Taylors, and the State Evangelism Conference, set for Feb. 26-27 at Riverland Hills Baptist Church in Irmo, is previewed.
Don KirklandEvangelistic rallies can offer both inspiration and instruction. If successful, they can send you and me back to our churches where the day-to-day work of evangelism should be carried out in earnest by every believer.
Michael Green wrote a book entitled “Evangelism Through the Local Church,” which deserves high marks for readability and practicality. He writes that when Christianity has been in its most healthy state, “evangelism has stemmed from the local church and has had a noticeable impact on the surrounding area.”
The author goes on to express his belief that evangelism carried out by the local church is “the most natural, long-lasting and effective.”
Without intending to give too little importance to mass crusades and other evangelistic campaigns, Green does offer his view that such gatherings would be less necessary “if local churches were engaged in loving, outgoing evangelism within their neighborhoods.”
This is where you and I enter the picture. It is up to you and me, as well as to the “professionals,” to do the work of evangelism. This is so even though we feel uncomfortable with, or unfit for, the task.
The churches of the South Carolina Baptist Convention must continue to – or in some cases, perhaps, begin to – take seriously the ministry of reaching out to the surrounding community. The churches must give direction to this effort and equip their members for disciple-making.
For sure, churches should not ignore the techniques of doing evangelism. At the same time, they must underscore the need for their congregations to experience close walks with God. In that way, church members will be so filled with the Holy Spirit that the joy of knowing Jesus will overflow their souls. And that spill-over, as it touches the lives of others, will prove to be the most effective witness. Christians also must be able to give, in words, a reason for their faith.
Christians today need to catch the overpowering “oughtness” of evangelism. This spirit certainly can be caught at such gatherings as the Women’s Lifestyle Evangelism conferences and the State Evangelism Conference. But it is in the churches of our cities, towns and communities that our Great Commission work as South Carolina Baptists will either flourish or fall flat.