Vol. 29 (2015)

The articles in this volume of Witnesspick up on the idea of evangelism moving into this broader field of operations. Drawing on the theme of the AETE annual meeting for 2014, “Training Evangelism Clergy to be Relevant for Today’s/Tomorrow’s World,” they offer reflections on how evangelism can be an influence in larger contexts and how it can be adapted for sharing the gospel in different cultures.

Our first article is from former ASM President and noted missiologist Robert Schreiter. In it, he reviews the conflicts that have broken out across the globe over the past several decades and considers how the church might engage in evangelism in the face of these vast difficulties. He points to the practice of reconciliation as a means for the church to share the good news in a powerful and desperately needed way.

The second article is the transcript of a scholarly lecture given by Mark Teasdale at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. The lecture suggests that the logic of evangelism can be used as a basis for revamping the core outcomes as well as the means of achieving those outcomes in theological education. The video of the lecture can be viewed at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcSsKoPUSFQ&feature=youtu.be>.

The third article is by Beth Seversen, who considers the role of evangelism in relation to how members of African diaspora churches in the United States assimilate into their American host culture. Central to this is the idea that these churches are most effective evangelistically when they can relate easily to the host culture while retaining their distinctive African identities.

Finally, Jennifer Pedzinski offers an article that reminds us of the importance of respecting the cultures of those with whom we wish to share the gospel. Drawing on years of experience as a missionary in Thailand, she offers an ethnographic analysis of the Thai people as a case study for how to present the gospel in a way that honors those who hear it.

Evangelism, just as surely as missions, is bound up to the purposes of the God who sent Jesus Christ into the world that people might have abundant life. In its connection to this vast christological activity, evangelism is as expansive as missions, offering the good news throughout the globe in a wide variety of ways that meet the people of the world in the midst of their needs and in ways that are accessible and redemptive within their unique cultures. Our hope is that these articles will help further equip the leaders of the church for today and tomorrow as they engage in this work.

Mark R. Teasdale, Editor

Evanston, IL