The real reason behind the decline of evangelism in churches today

by   Thom S. Rainer                                                                                                                                    Vol. XII, No. 1, January 1999

Travel with me south of Fort Worth to the town of Glen Rose, Texas, population around 2,000. The location is not bad, but we have learned it really has no impact on the evangelistic effectiveness of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Why are we interested in this church? After all, its membership is 202 and attendance averages about 160. The town is small. Our interest was piqued when we learned this mid-sized church baptized 50 people in one year. That is one person reached for Christ for every 4 members! In the Southern Baptist Convention, the average is one baptism for every 43 members.

To put it into perspective, if a megachurch of 4,000 members baptized one person for every four members, it would reach 1,000 people for Christ in one year! Or if every church in the Southern Baptist Convention was that evangelistically effective, the convention would reach 3.75 million people per year for Christ. The actual number is less than 400,000.

Christians, today, are less and less concerned for the lost. They are increasingly content to live in their Christian bubbles, afraid to confront sinners in their lost state. While the reasons for this are many, one of the causes is an uncertainty about the biblical claims of exclusivity. Christians today are influenced by number of scholars who do not believe any one faith system has absolute claims on truth. These pseudo-intellectuals believe no religious system can claim to possess the truth concerning God; salvation, eternal life, etc. What is so disturbing' about these trends is this pervasive thinking often emanates from the Christian community itself.

Let us briefly look at four views evident in American Christianity and how those views impact evangelistic effectiveness.

Universalism

Universalism is the belief that no human being will ultimately be lost. Sooner or later, universalists believe, God eventually saves every person. There is, therefore, no need to evangelize because God ultimately saves all of humanity. The love of God is one of the key arguments universalists use to defend their position. How could a loving God allow anyone to go to Hell? Or, if they deny the existence of Hell, how could a loving God exclude anyone from Heaven? Universalists give little attention to the sinfulness of human nature and little attention to the justice of God.

Universalists profess ultimate concern for tolerance. They consider those who believe Jesus is the only way to be narrow-minded and prejudiced against other religions. Universalists will assert that those who believe that Christ is the only way are immoral and intellectually dishonest in the contemporary knowledge of other faiths.

Many young people are attracted to this philosophy. Those that reject universalism, however, do so because of its all-embracing posture.

Pluralism

Pluralism holds that humans may be saved or go to Heaven through numerous traditions and saviors. John Hick, the often cited pluralist, explains his understanding of pluralism this way: "There is not merely one way but a plurality of ways of salvation or liberation ... taking place in different ways within the contexts of all the great religious traditions." Once again, there is no need to evangelize because as long as your neighbor is practicing his belief religiously, then he is certain to find God's forgiving love.

The "narrow way" of Christ is offensive to most pluralists. They refuse to believe that the other "good" religions, are excluded from the salvific love of God.

Inclusivism

This belief attempts to capture the much desired tolerance of pluralism while affirming the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Inclusivism is enticingly tempting to Christians and churches that do not want to appear narrow-minded, yet desire to affirm the work of Christ for redemption. They can proclaim that Christ is the only way, while acknowledging that others may come to Christ in their own religions. A "good Buddhist" can therefore go to Heaven.

A great appeal of inclusivism is that it widens the way of salvation for those millions who die without hearing the Gospel. Inclusivists insist that it is only fair that every one has a chance to be saved.

While pluralism may be the most popular belief system among the youth of America, inclusivism will be a desirable alternative for many. Some youth have a level of reverence, respect for, and hope in Jesus Christ. Inclusivism will allow them to embrace other religions while still claiming the label of Christian.

Exclusivism

Exclusivism teaches explicit faith in Christ is the only way of salvation. This view clashes with each of the earlier positions because it demands action. If explicit faith in Christ is necessary for salvation, then we who know must go and tell those who have not heard.

In John 3:16-18 Jesus himself states in this text that He is the only way of salvation. Furthermore, He clearly says that those who do not believe in Him are already condemned. John 14:6 leaves no room for pluralism or inclusivism.

  When Christians understand that exclusivism is the true biblical teaching, they are motivated to reach people for Christ.

[Thom Rainer is the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth of Southern Seminary. Reprinted from the Oklahoma Baptist Messenger, 15 October 1998.]