Evangelists on University Campuses

What I find interesting is how libs use the gospel to avoid conversations about righteous living. Unless of course it is what they perceive righteous living i.e. government programs.

 

The incident you cite, in addition to all the other issues it raises, is also an illustration of how some "evangelists" confirm the stereotypes of the Christian faith as narrow, rigid, negative, and judgmental.

I have 23 years experience in campus ministry (1963-1986) and have seen a few tree-stump evangelists at work. When I have stopped to listen, sad to say, I felt more in common with the hecklers than I did with the preachers.

But the other side of that is that some people will always feel intimidated by attempts to evangelize. I remember a meeting of the Chaplains at George Washington University, one of the campuses I served a while back. The Hillel rabbi came rushing in, all upset because the Gideons were handing out Bibles -- standing on public sidewalks and not using University property. He claimed that his students were "traumatized" by the Gideons' actions, and went on to say that "a university is no place for persuading people to change." Be grateful for the Roman Catholic priest who responded, "Rabbi, it goes on in every classroom. That's what professors do ... they persuade."

The university is always a marketplace of ideas. If you have something to say, however, say it well so that it stands the critical tests the university atmosphere will put to it.

 

Well, I've preached on several college campuses, including going to the University of Delaware and University of Pennsylvania/Drexel about twice a month.

I'd never dream of pointing out an individual to embarrass them like that.

Usually, what I'll do is to ask if there's an English Lit major in the crowd and there usually is (especially at Penn). I'll ask them if they've studied Oscar Wilde's "Portrait of Dorian Gray".

From there, I'll go on about how the book is about how sin has destroyed a man's life and base a Gospel presentation on that. (In addition to being a great door opener to share the Gospel, it's also a pretty good book in it's own right)

If there are no English Lit majors, then I'll ask for a history major. If there's a history major there (and the one time I preached at Harvard, half of the crowd were history majors).

I'll ask the history major who he thinks the most important historical event in history is. Of course, my answer is Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, so I use that to base a short Gospel presentation on.

If there are no history or English Lit majors, I'll ask for a math or statistics major. I'll ask him what he thinks the odds of such a complex and ordered universe appearing out of nothing are and use that as an opportunity to share the Gospel.

I'd never call somebody out just to embarrass them like that. The Gospel in an offense in itself. That doesn't give me a right to be offensive in my words.

 

I know this so called "Evangelist", and his group. Myself and others in the "Street evangelism" circles, have tried to talk to this guy: unfortunately it doesn't do much good, because the Guy believes in a false, "works righteous" Gospel (which is no Gospel at all). The Leader of the group is a guy named Jesse> they are horrible, hateful, and do not give the Gospel at all.

Do NOT get me wrong. We need to go out on the streets, we need to point people to the Law, and let them know they are lost. It is absolutely unbiblical to shout to the Crowds "Jesus loves you". We must drive the lost to the savior through the use of the law, so that they will really appropriate the Gift. There is not enough Hell and Righteousness preached nowadays. But there is a way to do it, and a way not to do it. One way makes enemies ONLY: the other makes some enemies, but there are also some saved.

For anyone interested in seeing an awesome example of GOOD open air preaching, I suggest the video "Open Air Preaching 101" by Ray Comfort. That guy is a master at evangelism, truly gifted by God, with a true desire to see saved souls...