This week finds me (Bernie) in the preparation process for final examinations as I finish out stage one of higher education. I’ve mentioned it here before, but, for those who don’t know, I am doing graduate work with the
University of South Africa in
Missions and Christian Spirituality. During this first week of February I will complete my “Honors BTh” degree and hopefully gain entrance into the Masters program later this year.
(If you’re really interested in how the educational system in South Africa differs from ours, you can check it out online. I am a fan of UniSA and recommend it to any of my American friends who want to finish out a degree).In any case, my recent reading for Missiology has been the tome written missiologist David J. Bosch entitled “
Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission”. This is a book that has become more precious to me as I read. Bosch wrote prophetically about how missions has moved and will be progressing over the coming decades. While I take issue with things he says here and there, overall, I highly respect his research and insights. In particular, I am listing here 18 points he makes toward a “constructive understanding of evangelism”. As I read through these things it’s a breath of fresh air. Even though this book was written in 1991, it wears contemporary relevance like a comfortable jacket. It’s fairly weighty reading - and probably not something most would read from cover-to-cover. However, if you are involved with missions in any way, Chapter 12, “Elements of an Emerging Ecumenical Paradigm”, is necessary reading (this “chapter” being about 142 pages in length) in which he lists and explains what he sees as thirteen elements of mission for the twenty-first century. It is truly prophetic writing. Bosch was killed in a car accident a few years after this was published. In my mind, this was the loss of a world-class, modern day missionary statesman. He has another little volume called
A Spirituality of the Road. I highly recommend this to anyone working in cross-cultural missions.
One of the critical elements elaborated on is “Mission as Evangelism.” He gives an helpful list of points to understanding evangelism. They are as follows:
1. I perceive mission to be wider than evangelism
2. Evangelism should therefore not be equated to mission
3. Evangelism may be viewed as an essential dimension of the total activity of the church
4. Evangelism involves witnessing to what God has done, is doing and will do
5. Even so, evangelism does aim at a response.
6. Evangelism is always invitation.
7. The one who evangelizes is a witness, not a judge
8. Even though we ought to be modest about the character and effectiveness od our witness, evangelism remains an indispensable ministry.
9. Evangelism is only possible when the community that evangelizes - the church - is a radiant manifestation of the Christian faith and exhibits an attractive lifestyle.
10. Evangelism offers people salvation as a present gift and with it assurance of eternal bliss.
11. Evangelism is not proselytism.
12. Evangelism is not the same as church extension.
13. To distinguish between evangelism and membership recruitment is not to suggest, though, that they are disconnected.
14. In evangelism, “only people can be addressed and only people can respond” (versus Societies, etc. It’s individual. But not individualistic.)
15. Authentic evangelism is always contextual.
16. Because of this, evangelism cannot be divorced from the preaching and practice of justice.
17. Evangelism is not a mechanism to hasten the return of Christ, as some suggest.
18. Evangelism is not only verbal proclamation.
This seems to be a thorough list. I think I would add something to clarify that evangelism at its core involves proclamation of the cross of Christ. However, if you assume that this is the essence of evangelism by definition, this seems like a solid list of points to understand.
What do you think? Additions? Corrections? Deletions?
Article originally appeared on Remember Mongolia (https://www.remembermongolia.org/).
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