I am called by God to be
an evangelist and I have conducted over one hundred evangelistic events in
nations around the world. So far, I have traveled to sixty-nine nations in my
quest for souls. Our evangelistic events have attracted anywhere from one
thousand to fifty thousand people in a single service. I also train other
evangelists in how to conduct a large-scale evangelistic campaign.
As an evangelist, I
frequently hear criticism from individuals who do not believe that crusade
evangelism is effective. I have heard seminary professors, local church
pastors, and ministry leaders say that crusades are not effective. However, this assessment is directly
contradicted by my experience and what I have witnessed with my own eyes. Based
on my experience, on Scriptural evidence, and on church history, I believe that
crusades are an effective evangelistic method. Mass evangelism is an important
method (although not the only method[1])
for leading people to Jesus. This article will explain some of benefits of mass
evangelism and address some of the criticisms of mass evangelism.
What do the
critics say?
Ray Comfort argues,
“Evangelical success is at an all-time low. Modern evangelism, from large
campaigns to small gospel meetings, boasts only a 20 percent holding rate.”[2] I
remember hearing the Professor of Evangelism at Oral Roberts University making
the assertion that mass evangelism does not work, even though he works at a
university that was “forged in the fires of healing evangelism.”
Matthews
points out the following:
In
his book Church Growth Principles: Separating Fact From Fiction, Kirk Hadaway
asserts, "there is no evidence that mass evangelistic events help churches
grow...." (1991:29). To say there is "no evidence" is surely an
overstatement. More accurately perhaps, is the conclusion of George Barna, in
Marketing the Church, that "the cost is of dubious value considering the
low returns" (1988:13). C. Peter Wagner carefully analyzed the results of
an Evangelism-in-Depth campaign held in Bolivia during 1965. After the study he
"was greatly surprised to discover that the year-long program had not
increased the rate of growth of the churches" (1987:140,141). In fact, he
went on to say, the percent of annual growth was greater the year
preceding--than during and the two years following--the Evangelism-in-Depth
effort! (Wagner 1987:141).[3]
Matthew also quotes TIME magazine
that said, “in reference to a Billy Graham crusade, it is a "redundant
anachronism" (1966:64).” [4]
In July of
2007, Christianity Today asks “Is mass evangelism dead?” and “Are city-wide crusades a thing of the past?”
In their survey of a variety of scholars and ministers, 62% say “No, mass
evangelism is not dead” and 38% say “Yes, mass evangelism is dead.” In the
article, those who believe mass-evangelism is still viable today offer four
reasons. First, Luis Palau's organization continues to see fruit at
large evangelistic festivals. “It appears that some people are still interested
in this method of learning about the gospel.” Second, they point out that “You
wouldn't be asking this question if you were focusing on the two-thirds world,
where mass evangelism is still huge.” Third, “in a world that is more
celebrity-conscious and less serious by the day, the ambiguous opportunity
presented by fame will continue to draw crowds for better and for worse.”
Fourth, they assert, “there will always be the need and opportunity for large
public events in which the Good News is proclaimed.” Those who felt that mass-evangelistic
events are no longer viable, give the following three reasons. First, “In youth
culture worldwide, the typical ‘evangelistic crusade’ may now be in the process
of being replaced by concerts and other forms of gatherings that have an evangelistic
byproduct.” Second, “Billy Graham appears to be the last of a noble but dying
breed.” Third, “While millions of "decisions" may have been
registered, any strategy that has a 1 percent success rate has to be deemed a
failure.” However, even those who feel that evangelistic events are of limited
effectiveness acknowledge, “in the majority world, it appears that large-scale
evangelism is still finding a place.”[5]
[1] Crusades
are not the only method of evangelism. One-on-one witnessing, cell groups,
feeding programs, Sunday morning services and an infinite number of other
evangelism methods are all effective at bringing souls into the kingdom.
[2]
Ray Comfort, Hell’s Best Kept Secret,
(Springdale, Pennsylvania, Whitaker House, 1989), 9.
[3] Ed
Matthews, “Mass Evangelism: Problems and Potentials,” Journal of Applied
Missiology, Volume 4, Number 1, http://web.ovu.edu/missions/jam/massive1.htm (1
June 2016).
[4]
Ibid.
[5]
Harold B. Smith, ed.,“Is mass
evangelism dead?” Christianity
Today (July 2007) 54. ATLA Religion Database, EBSCOhost (19 June 2016).
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