Evangelism + Development = Mission of the Church How to Make Christ Relevant to People, Especially in the Field of Evangelism, Development, and Mission of the Church

F D. R c

    the current situation in some of them had brown skin, dark skin and Lour evangelistic endeavors with a story from some had yellow skin. The beautiful new club Tomorrow’s Church: Cosmopolitan Community by was considerably messed up. So the property William A. Holmes. committees immediately had a shower house built outside the club where the victims of ship- On a dangerous sea coast, where shipwrecks wreck could be cleaned up before coming inside. often occur, there was a crude little life-saving At the next meeting, there was a split in the station. The building was just a hut, and there club membership. Most of the members wanted was only one boat, but the few devoted workers to stop the club’s life-saving activities, because kept a constant watch over the sea. With no these were unpleasant and a hindrance to the thought for themselves they went out day or normal social life of the club. Some members night tirelessly searching for the lost. So many insisted upon life-saving as their primary pur- lives were saved by this wonderful little station pose and pointed out that they were still called a that it became famous. Some of those who had life-saving station. But they were finally voted been saved and others in the surrounding area down and told that if they wanted to save the wanted to become associated with the station lives of all the various kinds of people who were and give of their time, money, and effort for the shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin support of its work. New boats were bought and their own life-saving station down the coast, and new crews were trained. The little life-saving they did. station grew. As the years went by, the new station experi- Some of the new members of the life-saving enced the same changes that had occurred in the station were unhappy that the building was so old. It evolved into a club, and yet another life- crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a saving station was founded. History continued more comfortable place should be provided as the to repeat itself, and if you visit that seacoast first refuge of those saved from the sea. So they today you will find a number of exclusive clubs replaced the emergency cots with beds and put along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in better furniture in an enlarged building. The life- those waters, but most of the people drown.1 station became a popular gathering place for its members; they used it as sort of a club. Fewer of This story, depicts what I think has been the tradi- the members were now interested in going out to tional evangelistic theology and methodology in our sea on life-saving missions, so they hired lifeboat evangelistic task. crews to do this work. The life-saving motif still prevailed in the club decoration, however, and Traditional Theological Perspective there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where Spiritual above material values club initiations were held. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired The traditional theological perspective that has been the crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, half- basis of the old evangelistic thinking was one that places drowned people. They were dirty and sick and the spiritual over the material. Many evangelistic mes-

the e. word vol. 3 / no. 2 / 2004 / 1 sages gave importance to the spiritual life over and have been read into the Gospels, to the neglect of the above the material or physical. Life especially “eternal sense of community life. There must be a clarification life,” was of the spirit and not of the physical. Such was in what is preached: “accept Christ personally” in rela- the heritage from Greek philosophy that influenced the tion to the community. For the Christian faith is biblical concept of life—a dichotomy of spirit and mat- always seen within community life: the Church. ter: spirit was good; matter (flesh) was evil. The result Whoever “accepts” (I must admit that I have difficulty was a flight from the world. The apocalyptic trend with the word “accept,” for it is my understanding of reflected in the thoughts (technology) of St. Paul, was theology that one does not accept Christ, but is rather to “let the world pass by.” Ours is a home not on earth, accepted by Christ) Christ as his or her personal but somewhere “beyond the blue,” as a gospel song says. Savior is incorporated into the body of Christ, the This led to a concern for life only in the future, to the Church, the people of God, the community. Such neglect of the present. The present was seen merely as a emphasis in our preaching about the individual has preparation for heaven: “Heaven is my home” and “I led to confused thinking about the Church. It has led have a home in glory land that outshines the sun.” to many schisms and divisions in the body of Christ. What is important is not this earthly life but life after In the Hebraic mind, the individual is never apart death, which is the “beyond the grave” philosophy. This from the community of faith. theology of dichotomy, the spirit versus matter, need to There is no dichotomy of personal and social be reexamined and reevaluated in the light of the Christianity. A personal piety without a social con- Hebraic concept of life as a whole. Life is not divided. cern, or a social concern without a personal experience Life is not fragmented. Life is whole. Life is unity. of God in Christ, is unbiblical and anemic Divide life and you have death. Christianity. Moreover, in this complex world, turning This of spirit/matter dichotomy is also contrary to the a new Christian loose in the community with little or biblical records of Christ’s concern about the physical no preparation for that person’s participation in it as a and material needs in his healing ministry. In fact, the Christian, is to throw him or her either into frustra- first “miracle” was done at a marriage ceremony in Cana. tion or hypocrisy. The Christian must be involved in Here, Jesus turned water into wine, so as not to put the the community, with hands and feet and mind and host in an embarrassing situation. The Gospel of John heart, finding ways to participate in the power struc- says that Jesus came to give life and that it will be a life ture that controls lives and societies. more abundant. This was not said of the spirit only, but of the totality of life, including this physical body. “Jesus Salvation is free and cheap increased in wisdom and years, and in divine and human The emphasis on “free salvation” has neglected the favor,” says Luke :. theology of the cross. The costliness of God’s grace is Separate spirit and matter and have death. The forgotten. It has made “salvation” cheap and easy: “Just Spirit is known in the flesh (material). “And the Word believe and you are saved.” Yet, salvation cost God, the became flesh, and lived among us (made his tent), and death of his only Son on the cross to make humankind we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only free. Such freedom, because it is precious, becomes a son, full of grace and truth ( John :). costly responsibility. A theological perspective that People of today, more than at any other time, are calls for the “wholeness of life” must be the basis of more educated, scientific, and sophisticated. The old our evangelism or else we shall fall into the same emphasis of salvation as the glorious experience in the temptation of schisms and divisiveness. life hereafter no longer looks persuasive and attractive to modern-day people, who reason not only with their Traditional Evangelistic Methodology hearts, but with their minds. More and more, people have come to realize that salvation starts here and Elitism now. This means that the thrust of modern evangel- In the past, we have used a methodology of evangel- ism should be for both the material and spiritual well- ism that is dependent on elitism—the belief that being of humankind. evangelism must be done by a group of specialized The individual as over and against the evangelists. These evangelists are called upon for an community evangelistic meeting or rally. Many evangelists think that if others do not have the same theology, elo- Many sermons have placed the individual against and quence, and methodology as theirs, they are wrong, if above the community. Such rugged individualism, an not “un-Christian.” This has led to divisions in the emphasis particularly of European culture, seems to body of Christ. True, some may be called to be evan-

2 / the e. word vol. 3 / no. 2 / 2004 gelists, but the whole church, the whole people of The mission of Jesus Christ is humankind and their God, the body of Christ, does the evangelistic task, lives, agonies, and ecstasies. It is not formation of both in word and in deed. organizations and institutions, though these are Because of the idea that there must be a core of important. All must be instruments for people’s lives specialist evangelists, many congregations begin to in the development of human being. The “lost lose their evangelistic zeal, hoping to be revived by a humanity” must be “restored humanity” in Christ. “Billy Graham,” “Greg Tingson,” or some other evan- The mission of the Church for contemporary soci- gelist. This is evangelism of a personality. It is a hero ety in the st century is seen in evangelism plus devel- worship rather than the whole Church of Jesus Christ opment. This means that evangelism without real tran- participating, each responding to the acts of God in formation of life of the individual is not mission. Christ in the world of humankind communities. Development without evangelism is not a response of Our tasks of evangelism, as Christians, are to dis- a “new life” in Christ’s body—the Church. cover, discern, identify, and celebrate the acts of God From the Christian perspective, Christ is the start- in Christ in the events of human communities, ing point and pattern of evangelism and development. responding and participating for the glory of God and The giving of life for the sake of others is the funda- the welfare of humanity. Every individual Christian is mental development method that cannot be comput- an evangelist. Each is urged by the Holy Scriptures to erized or usurped by any technology. Life is not abun- bear the cross of Christ so that the light of salvation dant when people are concerned only about them- may shine upon the land. selves, their welfare, and their interests. To talk about life abundant is to talk about the graciousness of the Gimmickry Christ, who came that humankind may have life and We have used gimmicks to the neglect of the Gospel. have it more abundantly. How often our methodologies in evangelistic cam- It is the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of Jesus Christ, paigns are based on the gimmicks of the world, rather now embodied and manifested in the Church (people than on the acts and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. of God), that brings about a faith of God in Jesus In many evangelistic rallies, the appeal is to the emo- Christ, in humanity. God’s steadfast faith in humanity tions, to the neglect of reason. It is “instant” conver- is revealed in Christ. People made aware of the faith sion, “ningas cogon” in Filipino, with no lasting power. of God through the presence of the Holy Spirit Jesus met the people in their need. He never tried to restored back into fellowship, into the restored manipulate or exploit human life. His statements in the humanity. Such people become God’s people through Bible lead people to self-examination and decision- the power of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. making with no high pressure salesmanship. Do not It is also through the Holy Spirit, embodied and peddle the Word of God. Let the Word of God speak in manifested in the lives of the people of God, the grace the hearts of people; when the “fullness of time” comes, and the power to live, to participate in the mission then let the people decide. We are too concerned with and ministry of the Church. numbers of converts in one instant moment, yet the In the Christian faith, humankind search for what gospel is a gospel for the total events in life. We try to is to come is awakened and answered by the “instantize” rather than develop a life “for Christ, in CHRIST-EVENT. The coming of Christ into the Christ, with Christ.” The biblical symbols are seed, world gave humankind not only a glimpse of the leaven, and light. Gimmickry has no place in our future but gave a future open to God’s own creation methodology in evangelism. It is when we do the work and responsibility. The Christ-event reminds us of our of love and justice in word and deed that the world will past, yet giving us a realization of the future within be made aware of the acts of God in Christ. our hands. Christ gave to us an assurance of our abili- People’s response will not be a manipulated one, ty and responsibility to create the future for ourselves but a deep serious one that will lead them to real and for the world. change, even the giving of life for the sake of others. The Gospel (Good News) liberates us from the past and gives us freedom and responsibility to shape The Mission of the Church and enact our own destiny. Such emphasis on the assurance of the “not yet,” as already given and real- It is, therefore, fitting and proper that when we speak ized in Christ, impinges on all Christians to make of evangelism for contemporary society we need to clear that there is hope in life. Someone has said that seek its meaning in the mission of the Church, the “the faith of Israel is their hope, and their hope is their mission of Jesus Christ. faith.” In our Christian faith, Christ fulfills this faith vol. 3 / no. 2 / 2004 the e. word / 3 in hope, and our hope is our present faith in Christ. book of Revelation puts it “‘See, the home of God is Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, among mortals. He will dwell with them as their we live in the presence of the Holy Spirit with the God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will future open to us. We exercise our moral wills, our be with them.’ . . . And the one who was seated on human minds, and our capacity for decision-making. the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new’” As people who live with a past, we are assured of life (Revelation :; a). in the present, and the future is open to us for our own So, it is only when we are able to work together in making. “unity amidst diversity” that we can participate in the Christ’s ministry was a call to be in the realm that Mission of the whole people of God. As “God’s still has come with all its past, present, and future. It is a speaking people,” we need to enter into a real inten- realm that is given for the whole people in this world. tional participation in human development and nation The crisis of ministry today is due to the church’s building. (Evangelism and Development equals resistance to the “not yet.” The church would like to Mission). A national “consultation” that will be manned live in the glories of the past, as well as preserve what not by theologians and church workers, lay or clergy, they have and possess in the present establishment. but will recognize the need of all agencies and the The call is for a newness of life that is geared to the expertise of other disciplines of study. We need the help forward, and not the backward look. The Church is of each other. We need the understanding of sociology, looked at by the people outside her (as well as mem- politics, and economics, for we seek a kind of a bers of her own) as an institution that is anchored to “wholistic” theology for all humankind in all sorts of the past, and is resisting, if not, hindering change. situations and conditions. We must seek the talents of And change is not only the call of the hour but the each member of the whole body of Christ, the whole only permanent happening in today’s world. people of God. We can no longer remain “kanya-kanya” Renewal is a strong word in the Christian faith. It (in Filipino), “each to each” or to “each his own.” comes from the concept of the Act of God in Christ, This “consultation” would gather and evaluate all a “new aeon,” and so a radical change from what has findings, methods, systems, theologies, and strategies been. This style of life will make a celebration joyful, in the Mission of Christ—that of human develop- rejoicing, a festivity looking forward, and making the ment and nation building. This could well provide the present, what it ought to be. This calls for involve- needed theological depth and seriousness to enable ment in society, politics, economics, so as to evolve the Church to come to grips vitally and meaningfully changes in love and justice for all. with the constant changing situation of people and We are to reinterpret our Christian faith within the communities, which call for fresh dedication and context of contemporary society. And we know that awareness in the search for new spiritual foundations whether we like it or not, the world of the st centu- relevant to the times. ry will be that of continued secularization. Jesus The call of the hour is for a birth of an authentic evan- Christ through the Holy Spirit continues to reign, yet gelism theology and methodology that can be a channel it is for us to bring forth a completion. Christ has lib- of God’s grace in Christ through the Holy Spirit. erated and continues to liberate humankind. Ours is .William A. Holmes, Tomorrow’s Church: Cosmopolitan to participate in these liberating movements in history Community (New York: Abingdon, ). till love and justice reign, dwelling among us. The c c c

For more information, contact: Fed D. Ranches Minister of Evangelism for Local Church Development and Renewal Local Church Ministries United Church of Christ Phone: .. E-mail: [email protected]

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