Evangelists Should Stop Spending All Their Time with Unbelievers

The image that often comes to mind whenever we hear the word "evangelist" is a Billy Graham, Billy Sunday, or George Whitefield. Maybe we think of a John Wesley or a Francis Asbury. Or, the image is that guy on the college campus stopping students on the way to classes or the gal on the sidewalk with a microphone in hand. Or, maybe it is that person sharing the gospel via an app or in a virtual world using a VR headset.

The imagined paradigm usually includes someone who heralds the evangel, calls for responses, and moves on down the road. While such is one important manifestation of an evangelist's ministry, it is only part of the calling. And because we often limit our thinking to those actions, we create a stereotype that fails to provide a complete understanding of the work of evangelists.

But let's take a moment to consider the few times, three to be exact, the word "evangelist" is found in the Bible. Philip is called an evangelist (Acts 21:8). He preached the gospel in Samaria and to the Ethiopian (Acts 8). That makes sense: An evangelist heralds the good news to unbelievers with an expectation they will repent and believe (Acts 20:21). Philip had the title; he had the actions.

Paul sends Timothy back to the Church in Ephesus that was already well-established and had elders (Acts 20:17-38). One of the exhortations to this young apostolic worker included him doing the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5) which included preaching to those far from God but, in all likelihood, involved another expression.

The third use of the word is found in Ephesians 4:11-12. Along with apostles, prophets, and pastor-teachers, the evangelist is responsible for "equipping the saints for the work of the ministry." This is interesting. We are often quick to attach this responsibility to pastor-teachers. Yet, Paul notes a portion of the evangelist's ministerial jurisdiction involves those already in the Kingdom.

I believe it was D. James Kennedy (of the Evangelism Explosion model) who said, "I would rather train a soul-winner than win a soul." He understood the value of equipping the saints and the multiplicative result if more sowers and harvesters were in the fields. The evangelist was to spend time with believers developing and releasing them for ministry.

But what about you? What to you think was part of the ministry of the evangelist beyond sharing the gospel with unbelievers? If God has called you to be an evangelist, how do you view your actions in light of Ephesians 4:11-12?