Evangelism is a word that strikes terror into the heart of many a good Episcopalian!
The word conjures up the smell of sawdust, the sight of a tent complete with an Elmer Gantry look-alike: Bible-clutching (King James Red Letter Edition, well worn flappy cover), sleeves rolled up, loud-yelling, heavily-sweating, fire and brimstone preacher (or huckster). Emotional outbursts, the call to the bench to repent and accept Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior. Fundamentalism, literalism, religious sensationalism. ‘‘Sensible folks actin’ like damn fools!” Clapping, barking, howling, singing, yelling, rolling on the ground.
In short, unsophisticated, superficial religious excess summed up by a young seminarian after I asked him about his efforts in evangelism: ‘Are you kidding? That’s the reason I joined the Episcopal Church—to get away from it!’’
Of the various ministry activities of SWEEPS, evangelism may be the most misunderstood. Let us move then beneath some of the negative and erroneous connotations and reactions to the word to a more thoughtful reflection on this vital means of ministry. I say means because evangelism is a means, like other functions of SWEEPS, not an end in itself.
Let us begin with the word “evangelism.” A common definition: “evangelism is a preaching of, or zealous effort to spread, the Gospel, as in revival meetings. The word refers to a person, the evangelist, who is normally thought of as a preacher or one who proclaims the Gospel.
If we turn to Scripture, we discover that the word is used in Acts, Ephesians and 2nd Timothy in reference to the work of a traveling missionary. It does not refer to any special office of ministry but rather suggests someone who proclaims the Gospel.
In a more technical sense, the word is used in reference to the canonical Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These Four Evangelists are symbolized by the winged man, lion, ox and eagle on the basis of Revelation 4:6-10. Keep in mind the fact that they are all ‘winged creatures’’.
If we turn to the tradition and our own Church we discover that the function of proclamation or preaching by an evangelist became, like many other ministerial activities, an “ism’’. ‘Isms’’ as noun-forming suffixes can refer to an act or practice, a condition of being, a doctrine or theory, a devotion to something or an abnormal condition.
We need to be careful about our use of “isms” because for many people they mean many different things, Nationalism, patriotism. terrorism, alcoholism can and do evoke different feelings and meanings for different people, as does theism, evangelism. “Isms’’ are rarely neutral and often disparaging. The late Urban T. Holmes, former Dean of the School of Theology and good friend, in his book, Turning to Christ: A Theology of Renewal and Evangelization (Seabury Press, 1981) suggests that we do away with the term evangelism as being too confusing and restrictive and use instead the term “evangelization” as referring to the process or tactic of mission, with the goal of conversion to a redemptive community. This is a good suggestion which underscores understanding evangelization as a means of ministry and not an end in itself. Usage, however, suggests that we are probably stuck with the term ‘evangelism.’
Within the Church, evangelism and the wider term, ‘‘evangelical’’ have been applied since the Reformation to the Protestant Churches by reason of their claim to base their preaching and teaching preeminently on the Gospel.
In our own Church, the Church of England, the term is generally applied to the movement or school which lays special stress on personal conversion and salvation by faith in the atoning death of Christ. The ‘Evangelicals” within Anglicanism are a group which originated in the 18th century to bring reality into religion when a low tone pervaded English life and many clergy were negligent and worldly.
The Evangelicals’ piety and humanity won them a large following and by the 19th century they took a leading part in missionary work and social reform. Theologically, Evangelicals have commonly upheld the verbal inspiration and sole authority of Scripture: belief in the near return of Jesus to redeem His elect; the supreme importance of preaching, with a relative minimizing of liturgical worship; rejection of baptismal regeneration and the Eucharistic sacrifice; and, in general, a hostility to high Church doctrines. Rightly or wrongly, Evangelicals are generally seen both theologically and liturgically as “low Church” as opposed to ‘high Church”.
While Scripture and the tradition help us to recover the meaning of evangelism and its historical development within the Church, let us re-examine the word in a more basic way. In so doing we move from an ‘‘ism,” to a person, the person of the Evangelist. The word “Evangelist’’ comes to us from the Greek word meaning a proclaimer of the Gospel (good news).
More fundamentally the Greek euangelos or evangel means ‘well’’ + “messenger’ or a messenger of good news or wellness (salvation, wholeness, health in a holistic sense).
The root of the word is angelos or ANGEL. Small wonder that the word strikes terror into many an Anglican heart! We are called to be angels??!! Recall now the winged creatures as symbolizing the Four Evangelists. Were the writers of these gospels angels or men?
More importantly, are we seriously called to be ‘angels”? As a matter of fact, we are!
We shall avoid a complete etymological discourse on the word ‘angel” except to note that the word, from the Greek, means messenger and refers to an intermediary spiritual being. It is of more than of passing interest to note that our Lord not only believed in angels but proclaimed them and most importantly was surrounded by them.
We are called to be Angels-Evangels-Evangelists. Angelic in our role as messengers of the good news or Gospel. Angels like the Four Evangelists who shared their experience of the Risen Lord. Harkening back to our understanding of evangelism as a means, not an end in itself, we are called to be the means as living messengers/angels of the good news of God made known to us in Jesus Christ.
A simple but sobering fact confronts us at this point: as messengers do we know the Message? If not, how can we proclaim it?
The question of the message puts us in touch with the relationship of evangelism to the other ministerial categories of SWEEPS.
The message is a life of Service that we call ministry.
We receive the message in our Worship not only through the message from the pulpit but the central sacrament of the Eucharist (a corrective to the extreme ‘evangelical’’ position within and outside our Church. We profess the necessary balance of Word and Sacrament).
We learn of the message in Christian Education, not as a series of ‘‘lessons” but as a formation process wherein we, the medium or means, become, in an imperfect way, the spiritual message in the way that we live and deliver a life of Pastoral Care.
We are called to be good Stewards of the message by giving it and sharing it with others.
Evangelism, then, is not a special ministry for a few nor is it simply a theological or Church ‘‘ism” referring to a movement within the Church.
But how do we evangelize?
A few weeks ago I led a conference on Church growth and healthy parishes for the Eastern Region. A day after the conference one of the participating priests called to give me his thoughts and feelings regarding the conference. He stated that the missing ingredient was the “how to, practical application’’. It was good and constructive criticism but missed an essential point. There are no simple ‘‘how to’s’’ or easy ‘practical applications’.
Good theology is not applying a formula to a situation. Good theology leads to good practice, not by some sort of application process but by being converted to a new way of living that we call Christian.
Beware of ‘‘how to” evangelism programs that promise instant success. We are not called to sell or ‘market’’ the Gospel, We are called to live it faithfully in communion with one another and to share it with those who have not heard the message of a life of salvation called the Church.
More simply, have you ever had a wonderful personal experience and wanted to share it with someone else? Perhaps a terrific meal, a great book, a new thought or religious experience? Cursillo serves as a good example. Folks who have been, for the most part, can’t wait to share the message and become, frequently, evangelists of the first order!
Do we feel the same zeal for our life with our Church family? Do we share the experience of love and care and acceptance that we feel in our Church with others who haven’t experienced it?
If not, is it because there is no reality of love, acceptance and care that the Church promises as the Good News? Said differently, if there is no good news to share it is difficult to be an enthusiastic messenger. Said still differently, evangelism is a natural, ordinary (versus extra-ordinary) result of a loving and committed church family. Finally. it cannot be packaged and programmed without losing its genuine quality.
Evangelism, like all ministry, begins at home and within the church, If each of us only shared with a member of our immediate family the message of God’s grace and brought that person to church, the size of the Church would double, Or with one friend, it would triple.
How do we share it? No canned presentations, please. Simply asking that relative or friend if they know Jesus Christ and have a Church family is a start. Most important, however, is to share with them our own experience of Jesus and the Church by both gently but boldly sharing our message of what the Faith has meant to us as members of the Christian family we call the Church.
If it does make a real difference in our life, we will share it. If not, we won’t. I pray God that it does, and that you will look over your shoulder and discover your wings.
Angelically,