Charles Roesel served as the pastor of First Baptist Church, Leesburg, Fla., for almost 30 years. He retired in the spring of 2006. Under his leadership First Baptist, Leesburg, was in the top 1 percent of the nation in evangelism and mission giving. This church became a pioneer in this country for ministry-based evangelism, having over 50 major ministries which focus on meeting the needs of people in the community. These ministries include a drug rehabilitation center, a medical clinic, a women's care center, a pregnancy care center, a counseling center — the list goes on. Over 7,000 people have been baptized during the past 27 years as a result of this ministry -based evangelism. Dee Whitten, team leader of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's empowering leaders team, interviewed him recently.
WHITTEN: Charles, tell us about ministry evangelism. How is this different or unique from a more traditional style of evangelism?
ROESEL: Ministry evangelism focuses on reaching the total person and reaching out to people at their point of need. After you have met their needs, then they are ready to listen to the message of Jesus. This is the most consistent way of doing evangelism. In the past 41 years of ministry, I have never baptized less than 100 people per year. Over 7,000 were baptized during my ministry at Leesburg. Most of these baptisms were a result of our ministry-based evangelism.
WHITTEN: How did First Baptist, Leesburg, get started with ministry evangelism?
ROESEL: Very reluctantly. In the beginning it took about five years to move from a “maintenance mentality” to a “ministry mentality” in the church. However, after the people saw the impact of ministry evangelism and saw the joy in the lives of the people who had been touched by our ministries, then church members began to be enthusiastic about this approach. In fact, it got to the point where I couldn't mention a new ministry possibility without the folks being all over it.
WHITTEN: What did you actually do in order to get this ministry evangelism started?
ROESEL: Expository preaching. I started preaching about Jesus and how he went about ministering to people in the world. Jesus spent most of his life doing good for people instead of just talking about ministry. In most churches, “after all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done.” Our first ministry was a rescue ministry for men which has now turned into a nation-wide drug rehabilitation center. Now there are over 70 active ministries, meeting needs of folks in the community.
WHITTEN: How did this ministry evangelism affect your relationship with the town of Leesburg and the surrounding area?
ROESEL: At first, the town resisted our ministry ventures because they didn't know what to expect. They had never experienced a church which had carried out ministry to the community on a major level. However, now that they see the results and the genuine care taking place, First Baptist, Leesburg, has become the recognized church in our region for doing ministry. The city, the state of Florida and the nation have provided a variety of awards to the church for our ministry efforts.
WHITTEN: Was it difficult to keep a healthy balance between meeting physical needs and meeting spiritual needs?
ROESEL:This is the real challenge in ministry evangelism. There is the danger of feeling so good about meeting physical needs that you can drift off into a “social gospel” which is really no gospel. So you must put energy into keeping the evangelism piece a major part of your emphasis. You don't drift “to” evangelism, you drift “from” it. So, you continually have to keep calling your church back to the critical importance of evangelism.
WHITTEN: How would you recommend that a smaller church get started with ministry evangelism?
ROESEL: The great thing about ministry evangelism is that it will work in any size church. A church with only five members can start a homebound ministry. Any church of any size and with any budget can find ways to meet specific needs of people in their community.
WHITTEN: What are some of the challenges involved in ministry evangelism?
ROESEL: First of all, we had a zoning problem with the city. Before the city understood the importance of our ministries to the welfare of the town, they resisted us with zoning regulations. Now that is not a problem. Also, some churches have a country club mentality where hurting people just don't fit in with the church crowd. It is very difficult for church people to move from being served to becoming servants. Instead of asking, “What's in it for me?” we need to ask, “What's in me for it?”
WHITTEN: What have been some of the most effective ministries at First Baptist, Leesburg?
ROESEL: Our drug rehabilitation center (rescue mission) was our first ministry and it has become one of our best. People from all over the country come to be treated at this center. Also, our medical clinic for people without insurance treats over 600 patients per month. We have volunteer doctors and nurses from the community. Also, our children's home is a key ministry. This past Sunday several children from our children's home gave their life to Christ. We provide emergency rescue for children in desperate home situations and we provide long-term care for children.