'This New Idea of Evangelism'

Every morning, the National Post lands on my driveway and, from time to time, I have (or take) the time to actually read it. Most often, I turn all the pages and wait for something to catch my eye. Not surprisingly, generally any article that remotely references faith or spirituality gets my undivided attention (perhaps more surprisingly is the fact that every article on the political unrest in Zimbabwe also gets my undivided attention, but we'll save comment on that for another day).

With that in mind, an article in Thursday's paper ("Will United Church 'throw in the towel?'") caught my attention so I read every word with fascination. The article was highlighting a conference that the United Church (UCC) had going on over the weekend. When Canada's largest protestant denomination asks that question, enquiring minds like mine want to know. Now, obviously I know the answer to that question is 'No' (after all, I'm astute enough to realize that the very people who are asking that question would put themselves out of work and so they've got interest beyond the Kingdom of God here! They've got mortgages to pay and families to feed!).

The Post followed up after the conference in yesterday's paper with another front-page story ("Facing the Gospel Truth") with an answer I wasn't expecting. The UCC needs to embrace an idea that they have long shunned: evangelism. Now, to be fair, the reason I wasn't expecting it isn't because they have shunned it so long. The reason I was surprised that evangelism is the solution to the decline of the attendance at UCC churches is because evangelism isn't the solution to internal problems. In the spirit of full-disclosure, I was neither at the event, nor am I a member of a UCC church. As an outsider, however, the article in The Post left me with three basic observations:

1. What part of "go and make disciples of all nations" are we not understanding here? I mean, how does such a large group of people who claim to follow Jesus get so far away from the last words of Christ to those of us who follow him? Evangelism isn't a program to implement, nor is it the latest and greatest fad in ministry. It just comes out of what Jesus has done.
2. Why are we afraid to talk about the good news? By definition, "evangelism" is "telling the good news". That shouldn't instill fear in us. When a young couple has their first child, they don't wonder whether or not they should "evangelize" about the birth of their child; it's good news so they tell anyone and everyone!
3. Evangelism isn't about self-preservation. The fact that evangelism was tabled as the solution to the UCC's problem of declining attendance is more than a little unsettling. Jesus didn't send us out to go and make disciples so that our little corner of organized religion can last a little longer. He sent us out to go and make disciples because he is the very embodiment of good news. In a world without hope and purpose and meaning beyond what we can see and feel and touch today, he brings life and joy and hope and peace and goodness. That's good news for a world in such desperate need of good news. Jesus (and, since the church is the 'body of Christ', the church is by extension) the hope of the world. That's what evangelism is about. It's about loving and making a difference in the lives of others. Not about turning the tide on church attendance.

The most telling quote from the article came toward the very end, when one of the executive ministers "said he doesn't know how much of the Church is committed to this new idea of evangelism." Those five words, 'this new idea of evangelism'! Jesus sent out his disciples to evangelize long before they ever organized themselves into a church. So, ironically, evangelism is actually an older idea than the Church iteself (let alone any particular denomination, like the United Church of Canada)!