Evangelism
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on B&H Academic Blog and is part of a series of theological biographies by Jason Duesing: Seven Summits Worth Climbing in Church History
“He keeps the grand end in view.” After arriving in India in September 1796, John Fountain used these words to describe his first impressions of William Carey (1761-1834). A missionary pioneer, organizer, catalyst, survivor, and inspiration, Carey lived 73 full years and changed the modern world. J. H. Kane argues that Carey’s missions tract, An Enquiry, was “a landmark in Christian history and deserves a place alongside Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses.” Carey’s nephew attributed much of Carey’s fruitful longevity to “invincible patience in labour, and uninterrupted constancy.” Carey would not agree with these assessments. In his words, if one were to “give me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly. Anything beyond this will be too much. I can plod.” Read More »
It had already been a long journey and I still had a long set of flights out of Nigeria routing back to the United States. During my visit to the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary in Ogobomso, I met many fine folk. They are indeed doing a tremendous job of engaging lost people with the good news in the midst of horrific conflict posed to the whole nation, and the world, from a violent stream of Islam known as Boko Haram. One of the institution’s administrators accompanied me back to Lagos, Nigeria to fly out. Read More »
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on The Artistic Theologian, the online theological journal of Southwestern Seminary’s School of Church Music.
The Lord Jesus Christ gave the church its commission before he ascended to his Father: Read More »
At the end of a long, arduous overland journey below the Tropic of Capricorn on the island of Madagascar in January 2013; I along with a team of Southwestern Seminary students went out for one more stroll into the streets of Abovombe, in the southwest part of the island, to talk to willing listeners about the Good News of Jesus Christ. We were on our first team trip to find and share with the Antandroy people of Madagascar. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention challenged the Convention to respond to the call to Embrace the remaining Unreached Unengaged People Groups (UUPG) of the world. Little did I realize how literal that term, Embrace, would become for me at the end of that long day. Read More »
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Southwestern News magazine, which gives churches and individuals strategies for sharing the Gospel.
Most Christians recognize the importance of evangelism, but they are at a loss when it comes to striking up a conversation with a stranger on a plane, in a grocery line, or at the gas station. The following is an analysis of five common approaches to sharing the Gospel with some additional evangelism tips. Each approach has potential strengths and weaknesses, but not all approaches are created equal. The first two strategies are not recommended as normative approaches for evangelism. Queen recommends a blended use of the final three approaches. Each has its own advantages and usefulness in particular situations. The leading of the Holy Spirit should dictate which approach, or approaches, should be incorporated in any given evangelistic encounter. Read More »
A lady once criticized the evangelism methods used by Dwight L. Moody, famed 19th century American pastor, to win people to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In response Moody replied, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?” Moody’s critic answered, “I don’t do it.” Moody quipped, “In that case, I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.” Read More »
The Harvest tells the real-life, inspired story of a family on a North Dakota farm. The short film opens with a father and his three young sons surveying wheat fields stretching as far as the eye can see. The father explains to these would-be farmer boys, “By the end of the summer, the wheat will be ripened and the harvest will be ready to reap. When the harvest is ready, we must be ready, or we’ll lose the whole crop.” Read More »
God has honored, and in many instances has answered, the fervent prayers of believers for the salvation of unbelievers. Concerning his own salvation, L. R. Scarborough, the second president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and inaugural occupant of the first established chair of evangelism in the world (“The Chair of Fire”), recounted: Read More »
During his lifetime, Dr. Roy J. Fish pointed scores of people to Jesus Christ and to heaven. On Sept. 10, 2012, Jesus Christ and scores of people welcomed Dr. Fish to heaven. If any, very few people possess the accomplishments in the field of evangelism, as well as the consensus of admiration and respect, attributed to Dr. Fish during his life and ministry. Read More »
Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters.
—African Proverb[1]
It is a safe assumption that no lions will ever have their own historians, but there are some historians today that are lionhearted about seeing the Christian world through the eyes of those embracing the faith in massive numbers throughout the non-Western world. The shifted perspective changes most conventional understandings of Christianity today, especially its missiological and historical developments. The term used to describe the academic discipline devoted to discernment and analysis of these happenings is World Christian Studies.[2] Read More »
