Vol. 28 (2014)

The Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education dedicated its Annual Meeting, held June 2013 at Wheaton College, to the topic of evangelism as a bridge-building endeavor. The presenters and ensuing discussion endeavored to show how evangelism could be taught and practiced in ways that foster relationships and helps reach across doctrinal divides. The two keynote addresses, by Rick Richardson and Mark Teasdale respectively, demonstrated how this could be done both in a post-Christian culture (Richardson) and in the seminary (Teasdale). Both of these addresses are viewable on Youtube. Richardson’s is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlh3lr0ON-E and Teasdale’s is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKEJ0YKkSWc.

This volume of the journal follows on this theme. The first article is a written adaptation of Richardson’s address, which offers an overview of the various approaches to evangelism on offer in the North American context today. Considering the strengths and weaknesses of each, Richardson offers practical ways of synthesizing these approaches to foster unity among Christians and provide a better witness in the current American culture.

In the second article, Beth Seversen, with the aid of Richardson, discusses the implications of several recent studies on the faith life of teenagers and young adults for the practice of evangelism. From this, she presents several practical ways in which local churches can engage effectively with this demographic, and so build bridges to a generation that is deeply concerned with finding meaning. She describes her own experience of evangelizing at the Burning Man Festival in Nevada as an example of this.

The third article is an offering from our Australian colleagues Dale Stephenson and Darren Cronshaw. They deal with building bridges between congregations and the unchurched in an increasingly secularized Australian culture. Specifically, they consider how tools such as Alpha are less effective today because many seekers enter their spiritual explorations with less background knowledge about God and the Christian faith. They present and review the program “Ask Anything,” designed by the two and tested in Stephenson’s church, as a possible way forward in building this bridge.

Finally, from her bird’s eye view of local congregations as the Director of Evangelism for the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church, Heather Lear argues that local congregations must reclaim the word “evangelism.” Central to this is the need for much more widespread critical education relating to evangelism for both pastors and laity. Drawing on Hal Knight’s typology or orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy, she suggests that this education will help local churches be clearer about their own emphases in ministry and will help them build bridges within their denominational structures as they know what gifts they can offer and where they can receive help from denominational resources.

Our hope is that these articles will help to spur constructive conversations across the theological and cultural spectra within the church and beyond. As Christians learn to honor the variety of ways that those within their fold practice evangelism, and as they learn to recognize and participate in the work of God in the culture around them rather than battle it, evangelism may well become a bridge-building practice. Rather than being the source of awkwardness, competition, and distrust, it can become a source of mutual support and respect. And, if this happens, not only the specific practices of evangelism, but also the ethic of how Christians approach evangelism, will bear witness to the good news.