Introducing Evangelism in the New Affirmation

It is my privilege today to introduce the section of the proposed new WCC ecumenical affirmation on mission and evangelism that deals directly with issues that are related to what it means to do evangelism in the changing landscapes of our contemporary world. The section is entitled "Water of Life: Speaking the Truth in Love" and comprises paragraphs 62 through 88 of the proposed new statement. The theme of the section, "Water of Life," is introduced by means of a quotation from the prophet Ezekiel: "Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing" (Ezek. 47:12). This verse climaxes Ezekiel's vision of a river of water flowing as a stream from the entrance of the Temple in Jerusalem. The fiver grows ever wider and deeper as it flows toward the Dead Sea, transforming the Judean desert through which it flows by bringing abundant life where there is no life. This abundant life is symbolized by trees that bear abundant fruit for food, not just once a year but once a month, as well as leaves that bring healing. Acknowledging that we live in a world where human communities everywhere are in desperate need of both nurture and healing, the Affirmation raises questions: "How do we re-imagine evangelism, the call to proclaim the good news of God in Jesus Christ in ways that protect and nurture life?" How can we become channels of grace and not obstructions, so that through our lives and witness the living water of life that Jesus offers can flow through us to bring healing and restoration? The call to evangelize Having introduced the theme "Water of Life," the document presents it through five sub-sections. The first of these is entitled "The Call to Evangelize" and summarizes some basic convictions about evangelism that undergird everything that follows. It begins with the affirmation that the story of God's work in Jesus Christ is good news for all persons and goes on to say that we who have heard the story and have experienced the transformation of life that Jesus offers are called to share the story of Jesus with all persons in every human generation who have not yet had the opportunity to hear, and then to invite them to experience life in Jesus Christ for themselves. The communication in this way of the whole gospel to the whole person in the whole world has as its goal the salvation of the world and glorifies God. Evangelism is not antithetical to and does not exclude other aspects of mission. There is no necessary contradiction, for example, between mission as evangelism and mission as service, between what are sometimes called the evangelical gospel and the social gospel. The evangelical gospel and the social gospel cannot be separated. They are two sides of the same coin. The social gospel focuses on sharing the love of Jesus Christ with needy people everywhere through concrete acts of kindness and through striving for justice. Evangelism is distinguished from the social gospel by the ever present element of intentionality in its witness to the gospel. In evangelism, the story of Jesus is shared in the hope and expectation that there will be receptive persons who will respond in faith and so come to experience new life in Christ for themselves. Through evangelism the church shares the story of Christ with persons of other faiths and no faith, inviting them to a life of discipleship, believing that the gospel is good news for all and that all have both the right and the need to hear. Evangelism differs, therefore, from proselytism, which is not the sharing of the gospel with those who have not yet had the opportunity to hear and respond, but rather the misguided attempt to encourage or entice those who are already Christians to transfer their allegiance from one church to another. Some Christians are called to be evangelists and therefore receive a special charism or gift from Christ to enable them to carry out this ministry (Eph. …