The modern worldview has tended to artificially distinguish and dichotomise evangelism and from the idea of “making disciples.” This has been further facilitated by the 20th century Evangelical practice of defining a “disciple” as a “mature believer,” while diminishing the biblical defining of all believers as “disciples.”
The intent was noble in purpose, which was to emphasise a believer’s call to mature in Christ. But in doing so, evangelistic methods were unfortunately evaluated strictly according to ideas of explicit verbal or written proclamation of an intellectually and logically organised “gospel presentation.” Hence, attention was lost to the greater relational and psychomotor dynamic of authentic biblical witness of Christian faith. Fortunately, there has been over the past quarter century, numerous efforts towards recovery of the holistic dynamic of Christian witness.
“The Protestant scholastics, by emphasising the role of reason, destined much of later evangelical thought . . . to a ‘concordance model’ of systematic theology, quite devoid of experience or emotion. In so doing, they left theology to be characterized as a matter of the head and never a matter of the heart. . . .
In our postmodern world, people are searching not for a convincing argument for the divinity of Christ but for a life that convinces them the experience of salvation is real.”
[Terry L. Cross, “A Proposal to Break the Ice: What Can Pentecostal Theology Offer Evangelical Theology?” Journal of Pentecostal Theology 10, No. 2 (2002): 44-73 (54)]
The real imperative of the Great Commission, is not “going,” but “make disciples.” Evangelism should thus be approached as “disciple-making.” Evangelism as disciple-making implies that conversion best evaluated through a passing of time, wherein actual behavioural change demonstrates repentance and faith (Mt. 7:20).
The holistic dynamic of evangelism, and its objective towards making disciples of Christ, implies that evangelistic endeavours, should encompass the full range of visual-audio evangelistic ministry, beginning and fully developing the foundation of presence evangelism, which provides the credible platform for both proclamation evangelism and eventually towards persuasion evangelism. Evangelism begins then with presence, but is never complete until a person is persuaded to Christ. In other words, a person is not evangelised until he or she becomes a disciple of Christ, evidenced by responsible church membership in a local church.
Findings of church growth research revealed that conversions are facilitated when eventual verbal sharing of Christian ministry is strategically preluded or founded upon substantial expenditures of Christian presence and relational involvement. The more opportunities unbelievers have to observe believers in a variety of different situations prior to actually being given an invitation to accept Christ or hear a Gospel message, the greater likelihood a potential conversion experience will hold.
Monte Lee Rice
(© copyright August 2007)
For a fuller discussion, visit the following links:
“Why Evangelism should be Approached as Disciple-making.” http://www.box.net/shared/vmjt8s83zr
“Evangelism Paradigms and their Effects upon Evangelism.” http://www.box.net/shared/21ffhofmid
“Spirit Anointed Evangelism.” http://www.box.net/shared/qptugme1rh
