Is Faith-Sharing a Fading Practice...Even For Pastors?
By: Samantha Angeles
August 2017
“The difference between churches that are growing and churches that haven’t seen a baptism in a decade is whether or not a pastor has a passion for evangelism, has experienced success doing it, and has seen a model they can replicate in their ministry,” said Eduard Schmidt, director of the North American Division Evangelism Institute (NADEI) and assistant professor of Christian ministry at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.
Unfortunately, a 2017 survey done by the American Culture and Faith Institute (ACFI), directed by George Barna, revealed: “Christians are not excited enough about their faith in and relationship with Jesus Christ to share the basics of that faith with non-believers. And that includes many Bible-believing pastors as well.”
According to the survey results, more than than 25% of theologically conservative pastors reject any personal responsibility to evangelize, and 30% do not share the gospel in a typical month.
Schmidt shares his thoughts on why some Adventist pastors are not actively engaged in evangelism: “I believe that pastors who have never led a person to Christ will always see evangelism as an enigma, something they can’t do,” he said. “They will find excuses not to do it in their ministry.”
One way the Seminary ignites students’ passion for evangelism is through involving all Master of Divinity (MDiv) students in NADEI-sponsored field schools, providing an experience that Garrison Hayes, a current MDiv student, describes as, “One of the most valuable experiences for me during my time in Seminary.”
Under the tutelage of seasoned evangelists, some of whom are Seminary professors, the field school students learn how to organize contextualized evangelistic series, do visitations, present effective and compelling messages, and meet needs in the local community. Each field school incorporates both classroom contact and field exposure, and is tailored to reach unbelievers in a wide variety of settings.
This summer, students traveled to Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Mississippi, Colorado, Kentucky, and British Columbia, Canada, to gain practical experience in sharing the distinctive Adventist message with unbelievers. Schmidt, along with Alice McIntyre, NADEI academic advisor, helps each student determine which field school experience will meet his or her learning objectives.
“The one-size-fits-all evangelistic meeting doesn’t exist anymore,” says Schmidt. “Field schools help students see that there are different ways to do evangelism, and that it is doable in whatever context you’re in. They learn practices that will be relevant in whatever ministry setting they believe they will enter after graduation.”
Hayes spent his summer doing Bible work and evangelism with Atlanta Berean SDA Church. “Every morning, we would spend dedicated time with the pastoral team in fervent, Spirit-filled prayer, asking for God to protect and empower us to do his work more effectively. Almost every day we heard of imminent dangers all around us, from crime, to violence, and drug abuse, but God was not only faithful in protecting us—He allowed individuals to make decisions for Him because of our Spirit-led efforts.”
When asked how his experience would influence his pastoral ministry, Hayes responded: “I found that people are starving for compassionate human interactions, and that even when prayer was unwelcome, a kind word was well-received. I will most definitely incorporate this kind of outreach/relationship-building activity into my future full-time ministry.”
British Columbia, Canada
Anderline Bredy, who served in British Columbia, Canada in May, chose the location because of its service-oriented approach to evangelism. Church in the Valley, an Adventist church in Langley, B.C., has service programs intended to build bridges between the Adventist church and single moms, Muslims, alcoholics and community members through meeting felt needs such as car and home repair, recovery groups and seminars.
“I learned that acts of kindness don’t need to be big,” said Bredy. “I pray that I can replicate the simplicity and joy of acts of kindness. Christians would be transformed by the work that Jesus does through them.”
In Lexington, Kentucky, Sheldon Imperio spent his summer learning from evangelist Vadim Butov, who has led more than ten thousand people to Christ. Along with doing visitations and Bible studies and helping with the nightly evangelistic meetings, Imperio learned from both Butov and the pastor of Lexington Seventh-day Adventist Church, who moved the church from being “small and stagnant” to becoming “an evangelistic church that now has many new members as a result of their evangelistic efforts.”
Imperio's experience has increased his commitment to evangelism: “I will move my church to become an evangelistically oriented church as I observed from the church in Lexington,” he promises. “Evangelism will be a consistent and ongoing part of the church culture. I am inspired to see that it is possible to mobilize a church to engage in evangelism.”
As the field school coordinator, Schmidt regularly sees the impact field school has on students’ lives.
“I believe that every returning student has a new appreciation for the unique Adventist, Christ-centered message of hope and wholeness,” he says. “They may have heard it, they may have studied it, but now they’re teaching it. They learn how to incarnate it in their lives and express it to others in a significant way.”
Hayes agrees: “Being able to put into practice what we learn moves the gospel from a cognitive exercise into a transformative experience,” he said. “Seeing the gospel change the lives of others changes our lives!”
“That’s the whole idea behind field schools,” says Schmidt. “I believe it is a game-changer for the long-term growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”
1https://www.culturefaith.com/national-surveys-describe-the-state-christian-evangelism/
Learn more about field schools on NADEI's website
Interested in having a field school at your church? Contact the NADEI field school director to learn more about the application process.
