THE PROBLEM OF EVANGELISM

A recent barna.org survey found that:

·       …almost half of practicing Christian Millennials say evangelism is morally wrong. Our recent report “Reviving Evangelism”…points to a stark gap between who non-Christians want to talk to about faith and the Christians they actually know.

·       Nearly all non-Christians and lapsed Christians (identify as Christian but have not attended church within the past month) have a friend or family member who practices and prioritizes Christianity—but these believers may not be their ideal conversation partners when it comes to faith. For instance, more than six in 10 non-Christians and lapsed Christians (62%) say they would be open to talking about faith matters with someone who listens without judgment—the top quality they value—but only one-third (34%) sees this trait in the Christians they know personally. Similarly, their hopes of talking with Christians who do not force conclusions (50% [want to talk to Christians] vs. 26% [who regard their Christian associates in this manner]), demonstrate interest in other people’s stories (29% vs. 17%) and are good at asking questions (27% vs. 16%) appear to go unfulfilled. https://www.barna.com/research/non-christians-faith-conversations/?mc_cid=8a6b08815b&mc_eid=51f2c94633

Let’s be somewhat hesitant to conclude that these non- and lapsed-Christians (NLCs) are open to finding the truth about God. Barna also found that only 15% were interested in talking to Christians who exhibited a “vibrant faith.” It would seem that if someone was truly seeking, they would want to talk to someone who seemed to have found something. If I had a medical problem, I would want to talk to someone with expertise in the area. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with many who want to talk about spirituality. Why not? Perhaps, rather than finding answers, they just want to share their thoughts and feelings with an attentive non-professional but caring “psychotherapist.”

There is nothing wrong with this. If the situation permits, the Christian evangelist needs to know who they are talking to. This suggests that we should first listen, show interest, and inquire in a non-judgmental manner, but we should not hesitate to present our perspective when the opportunity presents itself. Admittedly, the Gospel will seem judgmental and coercive to many spiritual conversationalists. However, our conversation should be primarily governed by the Biblical realities like:

·       For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24)

In light of this overriding truth, we cannot allow ourselves to be unduly influenced by the desires of the spiritual consumer. We have to accept the fact that “the cross is folly to those who are perishing.”

Nevertheless, I don’t think that we should go to the other extreme and ignore Barna’s conclusion:

·       Christians’ ability to witness for Christ may be impeded by the simple fact that they don’t have meaningful relational connections with non-Christians, or the conversational skills necessary to talk meaningfully about faith.

However, I think that evangelism is even more impeded by our lack of knowledge and confidence in the Gospel, which inclines us to defensiveness and discomfort when sharing. Besides, every situation is different and requires its own special approach. Therefore, let prayer and the Spirit be your guide.