Principles for Effective Evangelism
in a Rural Church
Many are involved in evangelism, but
I have an uneasy feeling that very few Christians actually "DO IT". Much
evangelism that takes place within and outside our Diocesan setting is purely based
on a short term rather than a long term view of the way the Kingdom of God
should be extended. Everybody has heard of meetings or crusades where many
people have prayed the sinner's prayer, and genuinely decided to turn from
ungodliness to living a righteous and holy life. However is this all that
matters? Did Jesus tell us to go and make decisions or disciples?
Below is an outline or coded keys to
effective evangelism in a rural diocese that I think is workable.
Key 1: We Must Bring People Into Relational Communities
If evangelism is to be effective, we must ensure that people
are added to a Church. The aim of evangelism is the renewal and transformation
of lives, not just to get people to pray the sinner's prayer. Salvation is a
process that starts even before a person comes to Christ (through the drawing
of the Holy Spirit) and continues after the decision is made to follow the
Lord.
A new convert cannot function as a Christian apart from a
local church, because this is the environment in which God has ordained for him
to be nurtured and eventually find expression for his ministry. When evangelism
occurs in an urban area, there are existing Churches for new believers to join.
However, when evangelism occurs in a rural setting there may not always be
established Churches to work with. What is to become of those who accept the
Lord in such a situation? The evangelist or those conducting the evangelistic
effort are responsible for these new believers. How can helpless newborn babes
be left to fend for themselves? It is essential that these people be placed in relational
communities so that their spiritual lives can be nurtured.
If we take a closer look, we will discover that there are
several tremendous advantages to planting Churches. Here are just a few:
A. Church Planting Produces a More Holistic Approach to
Evangelism
Evangelism is a sub-set of church planting. The wider aim of
the extension of the Kingdom of God includes church planting as part of it,
especially in areas where there are none. Evangelism is actually incomplete
without the planting of churches.
B. Church Planting Leads to Church Growth
Even in areas where there are established churches, the
planting of new churches increases the rate at which people are reached. Take
for example a larger church which has reached a plateau in its growth. If this
church makes an effort to plant new churches the Kingdom of God will be
extended. At the same time more people will have the opportunity to become
involved in ministry.
C. Church Planting Overcomes Barriers
Most people who live in remote rural areas do not have access
to an established church. They either live too far from an existing church or
they may belong to one of the many people groups that do not have a church
witness in their midst. We need to plant churches in these groups so that they
will, in turn, reach out further to others of their group. In this way the
Gospel crosses barriers to those who may be beyond the reach of present
evangelistic efforts.
D. Healthy Churches Plant More Churches
Just as Christians are supposed to make disciples of all
nations, healthy churches should produce baby churches. This approach to
evangelism produces a commitment to those who come to the Lord, as mother
churches are in a position to care for their daughter churches. They will be
nurtured and ministered to even if there are only a handful of new believers.
Key 2: We Must Emphasize On Discipleship
Those with a short term view of evangelism are only
interested in getting people to make decisions to accept Christ. Yet, one of
the most powerful ways for the process of evangelism to continue is to disciple
those who have made decisions for the Lord. As discipling occurs, firm and stable believers who understand the importance of reaching and
discipling others are produced. The process of evangelism then becomes self
perpetuating.
Our Diocese needs to develop a philosophy of ministry that
views evangelism task as incomplete if we lead someone to Christ and then leave
them, especially if they are from a remote rural area where there is no church.
For this reason, we are to be committed to discipling new converts wherever the
gospel is sent to. This should be done until the new converts can stand on
their own feet and are gathered as a body of believers that is able to
reproduce itself.
This philosophy of ministry is costly. We cannot accept all
the opportunities that present themselves to us. Progress seems slow. But it is
worth it. As new believers are discipled and a church is established, they will
in turn reach out to others and start new Churches which they will care for.
Key 3: We Must Develop Leaders
There is a two-fold cry of our diocese. The first is, "We
need finance" and the second is, "We need trained workers who
understands the terrain." The second problem is without doubt the
greatest challenge.
Workers in rural settings often labour in areas where the Church
is either very young or nonexistent. As a result there is little or no
Christian heritage to draw upon. In places where the gospel has been preached
for many years, there is no shortage of people who have a basic understanding
of Christian principles. People who serve in rural areas cannot compare the
progress of their work with those places where there has been a strong
Christian heritage.
New converts in rural situations are the next generation of
leadership. The way these are viewed determines whether the work will be
effective in the long term. The Bible knowledge of young leaders may be
limited. But who needs sophisticated Bible expositors in rural situations? In
most cases the young leaders will be just a few steps ahead of the people in
their Church.
His Bond Servant
Elechi Udochi A.