AND SOME ... EVANGELISTS
By Roger Carswell
Christian Focus. 188 pages
ISBN 1 85792 512 2
'Evangelism . . . is proclaiming the gospel to non-Christians who are listening' (p.97). 'There have to be unsaved people present to hear the gospel'(p.96).
Preaching to solely Christian congregations, or shouting 'out messages to passing crowds who do not stop to listen or talk is not evangelism' (p.97).
But where have all the evangelists gone? It is the author's contention that, since God has not withdrawn this gift, it must still be present in our churches. So, after stating what evangelists are, and stressing their major significance by giving mini-biographies of evangelists throughout scripture and church history, Carswell makes 'An earnest plea for evangelists' in chapter 9.
This is the crunch chapter (ch.9): where we are called (as churches) to pray for more evangelists, look for them, train them, use them, pray for them and support them. This chapter would form a useful tool for discussion at a church leader's meeting in assessing the commitment of the local church to evangelism.
What follows are helpful chapters addressing issues of life and lifestyle, methods and temptations, problems and principles. The last chapter is a brilliant exposition for evangelists about evangelism, drawn from Ecclesiastes ch.11
This book is a great read, and could dramatically reverse the evangelistic decline in church life, if its contents are taken seriously and acted upon.
