Gentle Witness Another Model for

Martin Bailey

ome of my earliest memories are of evangelis- by the power failure. The event had been planned Stic activities. In the small Iowa farming commu- as a more sophisticated approach to evangelism. It nity where I grew up, the town streets came alive was important that the be seen as comfort- on Saturday nights. The farmers had finished in the able, attractive, and “up-to-date.” fields, had taken what we jokingly called their Those early experiences provided the backdrop “Saturday night baths,” and had gotten all dressed for my gradual understanding that there are differ- up. They drove to town to buy supplies, discuss the ent approaches to sharing the good news. And vari- weather, and do those other things that farmers do ety was certainly evident in that predominantly after a long week of work. (Many, it must be added, Irish-Catholic and Norwegian-Lutheran town. The would be in church the next morning.) rigid piety of one group was matched by the dour My buddies and I would meet at the corner understanding of the faith by the other. drugstore and then stroll up and down the two Within two blocks of where my family lived streets. To be honest, I suppose we preadolescents stood the massive brick with its were preening a bit, learning to strut, hoping to soaring tower, as well as its school and convent; a catch the attention of what we thought of as a gag- wood frame Lutheran church so small that in good gle of giggling girls. weather they piped the service outside for folk who Almost always we would be drawn to the court- sat on makeshift benches, a Methodist congrega- house square, where we would find amusement in tion whose enthusiastic hymn singing sometimes the testimonies offered by a half dozen converts to interrupted the Lutherans, and a tiny “high the town’s new Pentecostal church. Our parents church” Episcopal group. Our “respectable” would occasionally drive us to the frame building Congregational church was several blocks away, where these “holy rollers” met for worship. Their facing the town square. It was somehow symbolic and loud prayers moved us only to unappre- that it was located just across the street from the ciative wonder. Carnegie Library. A year or so later our stolid little Congregational So began my involvement with the evangelical church held a series of dinners and other fundrais- spirit. Since then, through Pilgrim Fellowship, dur- ing activities to pay for a new electronic organ. The ing college and then seminary, I’ve observed, evalu- melodious instrument was used to accompany the ated, practiced, supported, and written about evan- hymns and the , which had only just begun gelism. wearing black robes. I remember vividly that the By the 1960s and ‘70s, I was publishing articles church was packed for an evening organ concert by about the need for congregations in the United a blind musician, sent by the organ company to Church of Christ to be more intentional about their demonstrate the wonders of the electronic instru- efforts to explain their approach to the faith. Those ment. The circuits that night were overtaxed and were more ecumenical days, to be sure, and we the sanctuary was suddenly thrown into darkness. were all more accepting of each other’s faith No one was quite sure whether there were any expressions. But I felt that we who had become extra fuses. With a Midwestern sense of humor, part of the United Church of Christ must be clear members and visitors alike were somehow united about the ways we express our convictions in wor-

the e. word vol. 3 / no. 1 / 1 ship, in acts of mercy, and in efforts to achieve Nevertheless, we tried to say, as clearly as we knew social justice. And we need confidently to invite how, that our approach to mission was an evangeli- others to join us in our pilgrimage of faith. cal approach, that is, it was based on the good Some members of what we now call the UCC news of the of Christ. Evangelism Ministry Team remembered that I once Gabriel Fackre, a professor at Andover Newton persuaded Presbyterian and UCC evangelism spe- Theological School, helped us focus the handbook cialists to develop a handbook for the two denomi- on seven complementary themes to be found in the nations called “Models for Evangelism in Church Acts of the Apostles. With his help, we reported on and Community.” The handbook was published as ways congregations across the nation expressed a special issue of our shared magazine, A.D. When their biblical faith in deed, word, call, confronta- the Evangelism Ministry Team asked me to tion, growth, and life together and as parts of the describe how approaches to evangelism have whole. Looking back on that November 1974 issue changed in the intervening years, I welcomed the of the magazine, I believe the content holds up invitation and began digging through my files to pretty well. We offered models that nearly thirty rediscover the concerns that had led to that hand- years later seem relevant and perhaps even useful. book. But times have changed, and new occasions do The early 1970s were turbulent years in the teach new duties. Perhaps evangelism itself has not American church. Vietnam and Watergate were changed so much as the context and the setting in over. The churches had discovered again—as they which the church expresses the same biblical faith had during the civil rights movement and on sever- has. We have changed in the meantime and espe- al other occasions in our history—that prophetic cially since September 11. But clearly our basic con- leadership is often accompanied by debate and victions have not been altered. They are, after all, division. There were cries inside the United Church grounded in a theology of the Incarnation. of Christ and other denominations that For me that means that all of our evangelism should “return to essentials.” We were must not only be local but also very personal. We told to “let the church be the church.” Several want strong, growing congregations, to be sure. But groups in the and around the world congregations lack credibility unless they focus the called for a new emphasis on evangelism. We had good news on individuals, unless they preach and failed to convince them that our social witness was demonstrate that is for persons. This is an act of faithfulness to the gospel. Conservative what inspires us in Jesus’ ministry. It is the clear church leaders met in Lausanne, Switzerland, and implication of our theological understanding. elsewhere and urged greater emphasis on mission I am absolutely convinced that the evangelism based on “things of the spirit” rather than on programs of congregations must reach out, in word responses to war, injustice, and national pride. In and deed, to particular individuals, not to generic the United States, some churches organized an groups. Nor to the church as such. Nor to organ- elaborate evangelical effort they called Key ’73. ized groups within the church. We reach out That debate over the meaning of evangelism through the church or through fellowship groups, was, in fact, part of what led the UCC and the of course. But in an increasingly impersonal age, United Presbyterians to create a magazine in 1972 our approach needs to be personal and our goal that we called A.D.—for Anno Domini—as a bold must be to reach particular human beings. assertion that each year was “the Year of Our Furthermore, we need to be clear that Christ came Lord.” We sought to affirm that our churches were to seek and to save persons, not the church. We driven by faith in the Incarnation, in the Lord who may sing about the church’s one foundation and became flesh and lived and taught and died while assert that “for her life he died,” but that hymn can working among us. We believed then, as I certainly give the wrong impression. Christ died for all per- do now, that we have good news to share with the sons, not just those with whom we associate in the poor and disfranchised as well as with the affluent church. We must be very careful to avoid the and well connected. heresy that the good news is limited to the mem- We were, of course, only partly successful in our bers of Christian congregations. All ’s children affirmation. Or perhaps I should say we failed to share equally in God’s love. Whatever the focus of convince some denominational leaders that we evangelism in the past, it is clear in this year of our meant business about the faith we had inherited. Lord 2003 that the direction of the churches’ pro-

2 / the e. word vol. 3 / no.1 grams of evangelism is outward as well as inward; THINK OF—and pray for—the African child born it is to persons and not to holy institutions. with AIDS, the same disease that kills Americans However, we have also learned in recent decades and Chinese, believers and atheists. that it is possible to misunderstand the assertion THINK OF—and pray for—the Iraqi woman seek- that evangelism must essentially be personal. The ing safe water for her family. good news is for each human being, himself or THINK OF—and pray for— herself. But our message is the Spanish fishing villages not for each person in isola- Our evangelism is for whose livelihood is suddenly tion, nor in some next- threatened by a spreading oil worldly way. The good news persons, whom we slick. for each person relates to THINK OF—and pray for— that person’s own context. serve as we work for those who hunger and thirst The good news is that God because American priorities loves individuals in the a just and peaceful favor weapons rather than world, each person in the solving food and water maelstrom of his or her society, and as we shortages. Our prayer list is relationships to other per- endless. And because we sons. The gospel is for each believe in Jesus, in the person who lives and strug- invite them to join us Incarnation, our prayers gles within her or his com- must be matched by our munities. in that effort. actions. That is the implica- To say that evangelism is tion of the good news, the for individuals gives focus test of our evangelism. to the church’s assignment. Our task is to make sure that each individual has I began this little essay with some personal some opportunity to hear or experience the excit- examples of how I learned the meanings of evan- ing good news. We must also acknowledge that, in gelism. In closing, I want to offer an example that a certain sense, the church’s mission is for commu- stands in contrast to those opening illustrations. nities—for the world itself, for God’s blessed cre- When we retired, my wife, Betty, and I moved to ation. We minister to persons within community Israel and Palestine where we lived for several and seek ways to help individuals discover and cre- years. We were “missionaries” of the Common ate true community. The abundant life that Jesus Global Ministries Board, representing Disciples of came to provide is for persons who live and work Christ and the UCC. We did not go to start new with other persons, in community, in society. It UCC or Disciples’ congregations but to offer our may be a semantic game, but it helps me to spell it services to existing churches, many of which began out: Our evangelism is for persons, whom we serve their witness on the first Pentecost. as we work for a just and peaceful society, and as On one particularly hot day in Bethlehem, I we invite them to join us in that effort. walked close to the buildings seeking a little shade. Part of the changing context of our modern life I was headed to Jerusalem, and my briefcase is that we cannot escape being part of a global soci- seemed especially heavy in the heat. Across from ety. This is far more evident today than it was in the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church, I 1972. We spoke of “one world” then, of course. We turned toward the bus stop several blocks away. worked for peace. We sent missionaries abroad, Then a familiar voice called from a minivan: “If and we received from overseas into our you need a ride to the checkpoint, hop in back.” congregations here. We participated in the World It was Zoughbi Zoughbi, director of Wi’am, the Council of Churches, supported the United Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center. I climbed Nations, and spoke of a global society. But that fact in, welcoming not only the ride but also an oppor- seemed somehow distant. It is inescapable today. tunity to talk. I got the ride but no chance to visit In 1972 there may have been persons who had because my friend was deeply engaged in conversa- little or no personal exposure to the wide, wide tion with an elderly Arab, dressed in the traditional world. That is hardly true today. flowing white robe of a Muslim headed to Friday

vol. 3 / no.1 the e. word / 3 prayers. At the checkpoint, Zoughbi said to me, I often think about Zoughbi Zoughbi’s gentle “Walk with this haj [an old man, often one who has witness and his deep concern for all the people of completed the pilgrimage to Mecca] through the the Holy Land. These days he is busier than usual. checkpoint. Maybe the soldiers will let him pass.” I Unemployment in Bethlehem is reaching stagger- did, and that day we got through. ing proportions, because Israel has sealed off the The following Sunday, when I saw Zoughbi and West Bank and put up so many roadblocks that Elaine and their family at the English service at farmers sometimes can’t get to their fields. Family Redeemer Church in Jerusalem, I asked about the conflicts seem to increase whenever the men can’t old man. “Never saw him before,” Zoughbi find work. One of Zoughbi’s current initiatives is explained. “Sensed he’d appreciate a lift on that hot to raise some money from Western friends and day. Part of my ministry of transportation.” offer jobs with a small stipend for cleaning, paint- As we talked, the ebullient Palestinian Christian ing, and fixing up classrooms and hospital grounds. told how providing transportation was one way It gives individuals hope and dignity. that he could befriend Muslims. “The haj knew I Peace with justice is his goal. A cup of cold am a Christian. He saw the cross around my neck water, a temporary job, or a ride on a hot day is his and he asked why I offered him a ride. I told him way. In this man many see Jesus, who also minis- my religion teaches me to show kindness to tered by the roadside. His is contemporary evangel- strangers. Then we talked about our hope for peace ism at its best in a place where proselytism is for- with the Israelis—peace with justice, a peace where bidden. It may also be more effective than complex Muslims can get to the Mosque in Jerusalem and theological arguments. In any case, I am inspired Christians are not stopped on their way to church.” by his witness; he is for me a contemporary model Zoughbi works hard at his faith. His Wi’am for evangelism. Center, located on Manger Street, combines tradi- tional Palestinian methods of dealing with conflict, Martin Bailey is a member of Union Congregational UCC known as sulha—careful, patient listening led by a in Montclair, New Jersey, and chairs the preordination trusted leader or leaders until a new consensus can commission of the New Jersey Association. He and Betty be achieved—with modern methods of reconcilia- are consultants to the Common Global Ministries Board tion and intervention. Zoughbi learned his skills and are active in Peaceful Ends through Peaceful Means, during a course on peace studies at Notre Dame a Christian witness for peace in Israel and Palestine. University.

For more information, contact: Martin Bailey E-mail: [email protected] For more information on evangel- ism, order “It’s All about Evangelism” video from United Church of Christ Resources at 800.537.3394. Evangelism Ministry Team David Schoen Phone: 216.736.3814 E-mail: [email protected]

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