Transforming Evangelism

Traditional views of evangelism are often intimidating and push the limits of personal comfort, leaving the job of reaching out to new and searching Christians for the professionals - the clergy of the church. Knight and Powe show how this basic misunderstanding is contrary to John Wesley's view of evangelism, which he understood as a complete circle. Once one has been evangelized to and welcomed into the faith, part of the transformation of their lives includes Christ's teaching, which is to help the evangelized to become welcomed in the faith. The key to Wesley's way of sharing the faith is to relate to others in love, compassion and gratitude for God's divine grace. Knight and Powe's explanation of evangelism is steeped in the Wesleyan tradition, exposing how God's love and grace comes to each of us as we once received it, through the gift of proclamation. A true transformative act of evangelism is R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.A.L.: Renewal; Enter; Listening; Acceptance; Testimony; Inviting; On-Going; New Beings; Assurance; Live-It. As Christians, we are not to keep the gift we receive through evangelism; we are to live out what we learn in community and study, by inviting others into this grace. Knight and Powe express that evangelism should not be viewed as an ugly word or act that most fear to live out, but as a way for one friend in Christ to welcome another friend in Christ to the faith.

Henry Knight III is the Donald and Pearl Wright Professor of Wesleyan Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology F. Douglas Powe, JR. is Assistant Professor of Evangelism at Saint Paul School of Theology