Column: Evangelism — getting past the fright!

By Jerry Devine, Detroit Conference Director of Connectional Ministries

“… over 90 percent of the so-called new converts come from the 40 percent of the population who are already 'in the choir,' and less than 10 percent come from the 'unchurched majority.' So we have a lot of Baptists becoming Pentecostals, and Catholics becoming Episcopalians, and so on, but surprising few 'unchurched people' getting connected with the church. (5)” —From A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith by Brian McClaren

Most studies will show that at least 70 percent of any community in Michigan does not connect regularly, if at all, to any organized church. Yet those same studies are clear that at least 90 percent of the people are spiritually interested.

Perhaps our very idea of what “church” is has gotten away from the idea of being born as a movement of faith exploring/discovering, community-building and community-transforming people.

When we are part of something that is exciting and moving it seems natural to invite others to explore it with us. When we are aware that the purpose of the movement is larger than just our own self-focused needs, important as those may be, we often project a passion and hope that is easy to get others interested in.

Some of the most compelling “evangelists” I have encountered in my life have no clear relationship to religion, they just had a clear vision for the cause they were involved in and were eager to help others see how they could make a positive difference in the world.

The very word evangelism tends to frighten most mainstream church members in the United States.

Images of knocking on doors at awkward times to hand out tracts and engage in “do you believe …” conversations may come to mind. Or, perhaps it is the image of the haranguing street preachers that want to condemn everybody to their version of hell if the passerby doesn’t quickly “repent and believe”.

Is it because we cringe at the idea of sharing our faith in these ways that we have, in most places, failed to invite people to explore faith at all?

What if we approached it more naturally? Two examples have been shared with me recently that I think merit a closer look.

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Drawing others near to the Lord: Trio honored for work as evangelists

By RJ Walters, Editor

Three UMC members — one youth, one lay member and one clergy member — were awarded Harry Denman Evangelism Awards at the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference.
Denman was the founder of the Foundation for Evangelism, and each annual conference of the UMC has given out awards for “unusual and outstanding efforts for the work on Christian Evangelism” in his honor since 1981.
For more information on the award and foundation check out www.foundationforevangelism.org.

Youth Award, Elise Gotham, Albion College
Gotham will be a junior next year, striving to earn her degree in political science and Albion College chaplain Dan McQuown said she sets herself apart on campus by continually doing the Lord’s work.
“Elise has shared the Gospel abundantly in her young life, as part of the Albion College chaplain team and Christian community, her service in Haiti and Appalachia, and in Albion, and in reaching out to United Methodist high school (students),” he said. “Most importantly Elise has asked the hard questions. To the atheists she has asked, ‘Can you see God’s hand at work in your story?’ and to acquaintances, ‘Do you need to live a lifestyle that hurts you in order to have fun?’”

Lay Member Award, Lee Donley, Oxford UMC
Oxford UMC Rev. Doug McMunn said Donley has a heart for helping people of all ages, especially males —from fifth-grade students who he works with to making home visitations to elderly people.

“For four years I have watched Lee Donley, with a heart that is bigger than his chest, self driven to make one more disciple for Jesus Christ every day of his life,” McMunn said. “His true passion is to make disciples of men, citing research as he often does, that shows that when a married woman goes to church 37 percent of the time she brings her whole family with her, but when a married man goes to church 90 percent of the time he brings his whole family with him.”

Clergy Member Award, Mark Zender, Pastor Willow UMC
Zender has gone from a life filled with alcoholism to one of leading people toward God’s plan for their life in just over a decade.
After doing some church shopping 11 years ago, he finally ended up at the UMC of Garden City where his wife was attending.

He said he found the men of the church to be friendly and inspiring and being able to partake in communion was extremely satisfying.
Mark Spaw, who will become the Ann Arbor DS on July 1, commented on the awesome spiritual journey Zender has been on ever since.
“Gradually Mark has opened his life to God’s gift and he graciously continues to be one who shares what he has received,” Spaw said on behalf of Jerry Smith, who was Zender’s pastor at Garden City, but unable to be present. “Mark has the gift of relating to people in all stages and stations of life and his experiences have deepened, not destroyed his faith and he continues to share what God’s love has done in his life to help lead others to Him.”

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