By Larry Rosenbaum
One of the most difficult issues I face as an evangelist is how to relate properly to the local church. A Christian who is involved in evangelism will receive a lot of rejection from unbelievers who do not want to follow Jesus. However, the rejection we receive from other Christians who do not understand or appreciate our ministry is much more painful. The apostle Paul suffered a great deal of persecution as he preached the gospel, being beaten and imprisoned many times. But his greatest pain was finding that as he was in prison, Christians would be spreading rumors that he was not a true apostle and was in jail for his own wrongdoing.
At the end of Paul’s ministry, he wrote these sad words from prison, “Demas, because he has loved the world, has deserted me…Only Luke is with me…Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm…At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me” (2 Tim. 4:10-16). Paul was tempted to get bitter, but he resisted that temptation and trusted in God’s faithfulness: “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength.”
Often, an evangelist will find that his gift is not wanted or appreciated in the church. The evangelist who wants to encourage church members to get involved in outreaches may find himself at odds with church leaders who want those members to be more active in church functions. Very few churches have a full-time minister of evangelism. A large church may support many full-time pastors, administrators, secretaries, and janitors but not a single evangelist. As a result, it is very difficult for an evangelist, especially one who must support a family, to be involved in full- time ministry.
As an evangelist, I have my faults and the local church has its faults, but we must work together. I need the fellowship of other believers. I need to be encouraged in my Christian walk. I need to join together with other believers in worshiping God. One of my main functions as an evangelist is to equip believers in evangelism (Eph. 4: 12). And those I lead to Christ must have a church home if they are to be discipled.
The Church of Jesus Christ has been given three main tasks: to love God, to love one another, and to love the lost–worship, fellowship and evangelism. Like a tripod, a church needs three “legs” of equal length to stand. A church that neglects evangelism will become a self-centered “bless me club.” It will die of stagnation. I personally cannot understand how it is possible for a person to be a Christian, believe in the Bible and what it says about eternal hell, and not have a burden for souls. However, the fact is that most Christians do not have this burden. The evangelist is needed to stir up this burden within the believer and facilitate his involvement in evangelism.
A church needs variety in its evangelism. All Christians are not evangelists but all Christians are called to witness for Jesus. Most people come to Christ through the personal witness of a friend, co-worker, or family member. We need to be witnessing to people in our everyday lives. Yet, some people will not be reached through “friendship evangelism.” Many are saved by being invited to church meetings or evangelistic crusades. But many people will not attend such meetings. We need to go into the “highways and hedges” and compel people to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Luke 14:23). I believe that every local church should have its own outreaches–ministry to nursing homes and prisons, door-to-door witnessing, street witnessing, etc.
Some Christians are critical of “para-church” ministries, i.e., ministries that are not part of a single fellowship or denomination. But some ministries must by their nature be interdenominational or “para-church.” For example, much of the success of Billy Graham’s crusades comes from bringing together Christians from many different denominations. In John 17:21, Jesus prayed, “that they also may be one in us, that the world may know that you have sent me.”
Many unbelievers are stumbled by the divisions they see in the church. If they see an outreach organized by a single church fellowship or denomination, they may think that “they are just trying to promote their church.” If they see an outreach organized by Christians of different denominations, they will see a tangible demonstration of the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17:21.
SOS Ministries was established to bring together Christians from different denominations to reach the people of San Francisco and the Bay Area for Jesus. We believe in the local church and we want to serve local church fellowships. We require that all the members of our ministry house be part of a local church. We refer new believers to local churches for follow-up and discipleship. And we provide a means through which local churches can join together in a united witness for Jesus Christ.
