Bobby Welch, former Southern Baptist Convention president and retired pastor of First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Fla., challenged attendees at the Reclaiming the Church conference to be strong in both evangelism and discipleship.
Bobby WelchIn an afternoon session, he coined the term “evangeciple,” described as a “contemporary believer who understands the New Testament’s inseparable connection of evangelism and discipleship.”
Elaborating on research presented earlier by Thom and Sam Rainer regarding people leaving the church, Welch affirmed the belief that not only must people come to know Christ personally, but they also must be actively involved in growing in their relationship with God.
“Evangelism and discipleship are inseparably linked,” said Welch.
Welch noted that becoming an “evangeciple” would mean living a lifestyle that would reflect a commitment to both.
Later in an evening session, Welch highlighted the importance of involvement with non-Christians and strong individual relationships with Jesus as important components in our churches. “Personal contact makes all the difference,” he said.
Welch, who is the author of the F.A.I.T.H. evangelism method used in many churches, also noted that the closer Christians draw to Jesus, the more others will be attracted to a similar relationship.
“You will have no struggle reaching people if you really know Jesus,” he said.