Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary describes evangelism as “the winning or revival of personal commitment to Christ.” The original word in Greek means “announcing the Good News.”
As Christians we are committed to “announcing the Good News” in the hope and prayer that many will come to a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
Today, among our Baptist churches at least, there is the concept of “instant” evangelism. This seems to be part of our society, where we want everything right away–instantly.
It has been my experience on the mission field, as a missionary child and, later, as a missionary, that there are at least four stages to evanglism.
Stage No. 1: Clearing the field of rocks, stumps, trees, etc. When a missionary arrives on a new field, there are many rocks, stumps and trees to clear. There are the rocks of prejudice, suspicion and ignorance. There are the stumps of old religion that blind the mind, the trees of indifference, disappointment in present religion, if any.
The clearing of the field may take much hard work and a long, long time — sometimes the lifetime of the earliest missionaries. I am thinking of William Carey in India, Livingston in Africa, Bagby in Brazil, Beson in Argentina, Lottie Moon in China. I am reminded of those missionaries killed in Yemen clearing the field. They did not have a multitude of churches to show for their efforts, but they cleared the field.
Stage No. 2: The plowing of the field. As any good farmer knows, after clearing the field you must plow the ground, you must soften up the earth, you must prepare the ground for the seeds to be planted. This also takes much time and effort. Much hardness of hearts must be plowed, resistance overcome, trust developed. Perhaps another lifetime is spent here. This must be done with much love.
Stage No. 3: Sowing the seed. This also is a hard job. Jesus himself reminded us that not all seed sown will germinate and produce results. The birds will take some, the thorns will choke others, hard ground will kill others. But much of the seed will germinate. This also will take time — much time — unless you plant mushrooms.
Stage No. 4: The harvest. Finally after much hard work, and perhaps several lifetimes, the harvest will come. It is a time of joy and celebration as “souls are reached” and many are baptized into the churches.
Those that harvest — the visiting evangelist, the two-week “missionary” — must always remember that they are reaping where others have labored for many, many years.
No, there is no such thing as “instant evangelism,” not only on the mission field but right here in our own churches.
We appreciate the evangelist, but let us not forget those who went ahead of us. A mushroom grows overnight; an oak tree takes much longer.
Franklin Fowler, Richmond, Va.