How you can be a pastoral evangelist

Picture an evangelist. What springs to mind? Perhaps a motormouth with the enthusiasm of a labrador pup, the skin of a rhinoceros’s hide, the social skills of a boisterous toddler, and the patter of a ‘Phones 4 U’ sales rep.

Now picture someone you’d describe as ‘really pastoral.’ What are the images now? Surely it’s endless cups of tea, frowns of concern, head cocked permanently to a 45 degree angle. ‘Aw bless’ they say with an empathy perilously close to patronising.

Recognisable divide

These of course are caricatures, but still recognisable. And they speak to a real divide we can see both in the popular Christian imagination and in church life too. But this divide has nothing to do with the Scriptures. In the Bible, an evangelist is ‘a teller of good news’. A pastor is a shepherd – one who, like David, takes on lions and bears to protect the flock.

Think of Peter, the original ‘fisher of men’ (Luke 5:10). Throughout the Gospels, Peter lives up to every modern stereotype of ‘The Evangelist’. He’s brash, impetuous and eager. Sometimes he shoots his mouth off and it’s brilliant – ‘You are the Christ’! Seconds later he’s a spokesmen for Satan (Matthew 16:16 and 22f).

Whatever he does, though, he’s able to enthuse others in his alpha male bravado: ‘Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you”. And all the other disciples said the same.’ (Matt. 26:35).

Yet Peter’s macho posturing lasts a matter of hours. Before the night is out, he disowns Christ – even to the servant girl. Proud Peter is a failure. Yet in John 21 the risen Christ recommissions him, and He does so, once again, in the context of a miraculous catch.

Peter will yet be a ‘fisher of men’, but he will be a pastoral ‘fisher of men’. ‘Feed my sheep’ says Jesus. In fact, first he says ‘Feed my lambs’, then ‘Take care of my sheep’, then ‘Feed my sheep.’ (vv. 15, 16, 17). Here is a whole primer in the nurturing, protecting and providing role of the shepherd. This fisherman needs a crash course in pastoring before he’s truly ready for Pentecost.

Our model

Brash Peter could not have been Christ’s spokesman. He had to be chastened, brought to the end of himself and then shown undeserved grace. From there he became a Shepherd-Evangelist, and within weeks thousands would respond to his preaching (Acts 2). This must be our model also.

Too many evangelists follow the pre-resurrection Peter – all fishing, no pastoring. And too many churches and Christian organisations put asunder what God would join together. We get to the point where seeking after the lost is considered a quite separate activity from pastoring and protecting them. ‘The Evangelist’ goes on solo expeditions, ‘The Pastor’ stays safely at home, and never the twain shall meet. ‘Reaching the world’ and ‘building the church’ conjure up very different connotations and yield very different strategies. And yet, ultimately, they are the same thing.

Dangers to avoid

In this divided world, travelling evangelists like Ravi Zacharias can live entirely separately from the life of the church and entirely beyond proper pastoral oversight. In this divided world, Christian leaders who harm the flock are given a ‘free pass’ because ‘they’re doing a good work’ in reaching the lost. In this divided world, pastors can shrug off evangelistic duties and evangelists can scoff at pastoral practices. In this divided word, ‘an evangelistic message’ has nothing to say to the believer and ‘a discipling message’ has nothing to say to the unbeliever. But, no. Evangelism is pastoring non-Christians and pastoral care is evangelising Christians. One of the great needs of the hour is for the church to learn this dictum and live it out.

What might this look like in the context of everyday evangelism? Sam Chan in his Jesus excellent book How To Talk About (Without Being That Guy) encourages us to become our friends’ ‘Unofficial Defacto Chaplain’. We should be the person our friends will turn to in their times of need. After all, most of our friends won’t ever ‘look up’ until they’re ‘flat on their backs’ anyway.

This gives us a realistic aim as we seek to evangelise. Don’t try to be interesting, intelligent or impressive – are those the qualities your friends will seek out when times are tough? No, instead be prayerful, present and pastoral, and wait for those chaplain-type moments. This is where your witness will be most effective.

In your evangelism, be like Peter. Just make sure it’s the right Peter.