What is the problem with evangelism ministry? Part 2 Who is qualified to Evangelize?

In reality, there are two different questions here. Let me begin with a true illustration: 

     I was preaching in Downtown Minneapolis when a person who was in line to go into a strip club told me that he was a street preacher and loved to share his faith. He got out of line, reeking of alcohol, and wanted to speak with me about things of God. When I questioned him about the fact he was intoxicated, and heading into a strip club, why the inconsistency. He explained he was getting married, and this was his bachelor party. He would ask for forgiveness in church later. I warned him of his hypocrisy, he cussed at me and returned to the line with his friends. 

     That was a rare occurrence; I had heard many people all over the United States claiming their faith in Christ while they were drunk, high, or cussing me out- none claimed to be an evangelist. What is not rare today is people who are evangelizing that lone-wolves, nomads, and look less like Christ and more like a circus performer. These folks give the honest, church-covered and sent ones a bad name. People associate the worst examples (Fred Phelps) with the best examples (Jeremiah Cry, Shawn the Baptist). However, something even more insidious is going on, the evangelists who look qualified, but, behind the scenes, are not living as a Christian. Their sin is easily hidden, and covered up because they have no accountability outside their circle of friends. I was one of these people, and there are many more out there than we know. 

     If you are born again, bible believing, God honoring Christian, you are commanded to go out into the world and preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 15:15, Acts 1:8). That is what you are supposed to be doing, in whatever way that God has gifted and called you. For some, that looks like handing out Gospel literature.. For others, it is sharing in a cafe or coffee shop one on one. For others, it is on a street corner. Still others in seasons in their life are focussed on the home and family. Wherever it is, when you realize what Christ has done for you in salvation, and the truth of the eternal destiny of all those who do not repent and believe in Christ, you must say something. 

     Are there other qualifications? Yes and no. And herein lies the danger. The local church, in many instances, has dropped the ball. Para-church ministries have picked it up and ran with it. And this is a good and a bad thing. It is good in that the Gospel is being proclaimed. It is bad because there is often little local control and oversight provided because of the nature of some the para-church ministries being event-oriented. In this case, a person can, unless there is serious vetting, be representing as a Christian that is not behaving like one at home or in the church. 

     There are also localized evangelism ministries that become like little churches in some cases. They are so hyper-focussed on their brand of evangelism that all they care about when joined by others is that they share their passion and the correct verbiage and methodology. And if the local church objects in any way, shape, or form they are seen as weak in evangelism. What is worse, if the spouse of a street preacher calls their ministry into question, they are seen as being sinful and not submissive. This has created a culture of nomadism and the creation of small evangelist led house churches that can often go off the rails theologically very quickly. 

     So back to the question: are there qualifications for an evangelist? I believe that there are, and they are all rooted within the local church. 

1. Set apart and sent out for ministry Acts 13:1-4 This is a descriptive fact within the book of Acts as to how the first missionaries were sent out by the local church. We can also see that Peter, Phillip, Stephen, and others were sent out by Jesus (Acts 1:8) after the Holy Spirit came upon them. They followed the pattern that Jesus commanded, going to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the outer parts of the earth. I do not believe that the book of Acts is prescriptive, but we can see the results of local churches evangelizing locally where the people can observe their lives within the community/church in Acts 2:42-47- God adding DAILY to the church.  In the case of Paul and Barnabas, they were sent out to "the ends of the earth" to plant local churches through Gospel proclamation. Clearly, they were under supervision (Acts 15) of the church in Jerusalem, and they were held accountable for their message and method by them. The pattern set in the New Testament is local church supervision even when it comes to world-wide ministry. In the case of Acts 15, there was a centralized authority over the smaller house churches or national churches as in Antioch. 
2. Recognized as having an evangelist gifting Ephesians 4:11ff The beautiful thing about the local church is that they can observe and recognize the spiritual gifts. We should all share the good news, but there are special gifts as given to evangelist. The purpose of this gift in context is to be used to build up and equip members of the local church so that they can go out and do the job of evangelizing. The purpose of spiritual gifts are to build up and equip the local church (Ephesians 4:13-14, see below). Necessarily, Christians are given gifts, we know that they are spiritual in nature when it is used to build up and edify the local body of believers. The end result is again that the church grows as people are saved through the proclamation of the Gospel ( Romans 10:14-15) and their response to it.  
3. Purpose: to build up and equip the local church Ephesians 4:13-14 Street evangelism should point people who respond to the message to a local, Bible-believing and teaching church so that the rest of the Great Commission can be applied within the church (discipleship, baptism, teaching). This benefits the church universal by preparing new workers for the harvest field.

     There are some who believe that an evangelist must be qualified as an elder in the church ( 1 Timothy 2, Titus 1) but that is not a good argument to be had. That would disqualify many people including children and women from evangelizing. But their point is heard, for many evangelists forget to take heed of themselves ( 1 Timothy 4:16) and their teaching. They forget the exhortation in Titus 2:1, 7-8 to teach according to sound doctrine, to be self controlled and temperate in their teaching. Most of all, we need to be of good reputation to unbelievers. If we do not have the protection, cover, and accountability of a strong, Biblical, and local church, anyone can be easily led astray by their own opinions and thoughts. 

     Paul had warnings directed towards those who judge. Necessarily, when one is properly sharing their faith, the subject of sin is brought up. When you talk about sin, and you are saying a behavior is wrong, you are making a judgment. Now the danger is that if we are practicing what we are judging, we are considered hypocrites ( See Romans 2: 17-25). When we are in knowing, lifestyle sin, and we proclaim judgment on sin, the name of God is blasphemed by the gentiles because of us (Romans 2:25). I experienced this even though I had repented of sin, and had been restored to ministry following my divorce, people still attacked me and were talking about the appearance of evil and hypocrisy in my ministry. The people to whom we are speaking about sin use many things to avoid the shock to the conscience. The most popular one, I think, is that 'you sin also'. When you are in knowing, lifestyle, and unrepentant sin, you cannot proclaim God's cleansing grace in your life without being a hypocrite. 

  In closing, the only scriptural requirement for sharing your faith is that you be saved- today- right now- in this moment. You must take heed of yourself, your teaching, etc. When you are in sin- specifically, if you have a sin issue with another person, Jesus does not want your 'offering' of ministry until that is resolved (Matthew 5:23-24). Certainly, if the church of which you are a member says that they will not cover you in that ministry, or, if you are under discipline, or if you are in lifestyle and habitual sin, you should not be in evangelism ministry. 

Part 3: