Work of an Evangelist

The NT gift was church planting. It should be manifested today by men going out and planting churhces by evangelizing the lost rather than stealing the discontented from other churches.

Modern evangelists have nothign to do with this biblical position. In fact, I seriously question their value to the NT church. Most of them are motivational speakers brought into to fire up the troops. Very little evangelization actually goes on in those meetings, in my experience. I think resources could be better spent elsewhere.

 

Their biblical gift is to know everybody and everything that is going on in Independent Baptist Fundamentalism.

Their ministry includes:
1. Teaching pastors how to "draw the net" at invitations.
2. Demonstrating superior exegetical skills by alliterating their sermons to the 4th level.
3. Serving as the next crop of camp directors and Bible college presidents.
4. Warning churches across the land about the insidious dangers of Calvinism.
5. Finding creative interpretations of the biblical texts that no one else has ever seen before.
6. Reminding churches of all the reasons why women wearing slacks is so heinous.
7. Serving as the Baptist "rock stars" that young Fundamentalist teens and camp counselors crave.
8. Using their lack of local church pastoral experience to help pastors solve the problems they are facing in their churches.

Have I missed anything?

Now where is a good "tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek" graemlin when I need one?

 

That's good, Siegfried. I think you have a good handle on it ...

 

Admittedly, this is the ideal. What would (or do) you do, however, when a person comes to your church from another?

 

Does the idea that an Evangelist is a church planter come from the passage where Paul tells Timothy to do the work of an Evangelist? I've never really understood that position. Philip went around "evangelizing" according to Acts 8:40. I don't think he was planting churches. I think he was doing the same thing Paul encouraged Timothy to do -- proclaiming the gospel.

It is tempting to regard modern day evangelism as an outgrowth of Finneyism combined with Methodist itineratism, but perhaps it is more legitimate to compare it to the work of George Whitefield and or Jonathan Edwards. It is interesting to note that Edwards traveled throughout New England during the Great Awakening. And, even though he preached Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God in his Northamption home church, that sermon was made famous due to the response generated when he preached it away from home in Enfield, CT.

Andy

 

I believe there is a marked distinction between pastors and evangelists, as I suspect most of my fellow posters hold as well. I have always thoughts of evangelists as itenerate preachers moving from place to place that are gifted in communicating the Gospel truth and providing spiritual refreshment for the beleivers. Yet I remember Philip from Acts 8:40 who stayed in Caesarea for about 20 years. Pastors are called to shepherd and equip the flock. Evangelists don't seem to fit that bill.

I still believe that evangelists are as I described above. Unfortunately many times they do immitate the characteristics Siegfried enummerated. Furthermore, of my interactions with my fellow seminarians who are called to "vocational evangelism" they many times are haughty, arrogant, exegetically mischeivous people that have no desire to learn the original languages because that has "no use" for them. Just an observation. I have met some wonderful people who are full-time, vocational evangelists and do the work as I mentioned above.

Of course we all would probably agree that Rev. Billy Graham is an excellent example of a NT evangelists.

 

John Gill was split in what he believed that the office was, offering that it was below that of an apostle and prophet, but above that of a pastor and teacher, or that it simply meant a preacher in common.

Vincent Word Studies indicate that the evangelist was a traveling minister whose work was not confined to a particular church. It also indicates that the evangelist was the apostle's helper.

My experience has been that the evangelist is the man that is called to preach, but who is not necessarily set aside for the work of a pastor. These preachers may assist pastors, commonly help in revival efforts, and do mission work.

I am not sure what a modern definition for evangelist might be, but it is certain the office has changed considerably over time, much like that of deacons. I think the definition of evangelists needs to be understood though, especially before we determine they have no value. I would not call motivational speakers evangelists, but then again, I would not call some folks Baptist that claim to be.

 

I don't know if there is a "gift" of church planting. Almost any preacher can do it if he has studied the Bible and saw Jesus' method of how He got the ball rolling for church planting. That method is Leaders, people, then building.If u look at how Paul did it he got the church going through those methods then after he trained the leaders he left and started another church. And Paul was not an evangelist. Stephen was if i recall right. As for modern evangelists i dont think they are Biblical.

 

Ummm . . . No.

 

Ummm . . . No. </font>[/QUOTE]ditto

 

Ummm . . . No. </font>[/QUOTE]Yeah, ditto me on that as well ...


As far as a "gift of church planting," I believe there is a certain giftedness that enables men to work alone and in the work of church planting. It is a tough job. Not everyone has the temperament or gifts to do it.

 

Their biblical gift is to know everybody and everything that is going on in Independent Baptist Fundamentalism.

Their ministry includes:
1. Teaching pastors how to "draw the net" at invitations.
2. Demonstrating superior exegetical skills by alliterating their sermons to the 4th level.
3. Serving as the next crop of camp directors and Bible college presidents.
4. Warning churches across the land about the insidious dangers of Calvinism.
5. Finding creative interpretations of the biblical texts that no one else has ever seen before.
6. Reminding churches of all the reasons why women wearing slacks is so heinous.
7. Serving as the Baptist "rock stars" that young Fundamentalist teens and camp counselors crave.
8. Using their lack of local church pastoral experience to help pastors solve the problems they are facing in their churches.

Have I missed anything?

Now where is a good "tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek" graemlin when I need one? </font>[/QUOTE]Ouch! Brutal, but sadly very much on target in many ways.

 

I thought that an evangelist was someone gifted in and burdened to sharing the good news and that many missionaries have this gift. Aren't most missionaries evangelists? I think so. There are some doing other things -- translating scripture, working as doctors, etc. -- but bascially a missionary is bringing the good news -- being an evangelist.

 

I'd have to say Umm.. no to that to but also I'd like to plug in that I don't agree with calling any preacher Reverend. They are ordinary people that have a supreme calling on their lives. They are to be respected but not revered but that is another discussion.

 

Dr Bob, I don't think there is only one answer to any of the questions you raised. The number of ways there are to evangelize are perhaps as numerous as there are those who do evangelizing. A person at a pulpit is no more or less an evangelist than a person working at a hospital, or a person volunteering at a soup kitchen or with Habitat for Humanity, or being a church musician.