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The Evangelist

by Pastor Abby Davidson

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

I was getting my hair done at a new place a couple of years ago and talking with my hairdresser. She asked me what I do and I told her I’m a pastor. Oh wow, she replied, I’m an evangelist. I had never heard someone describe themself as an evangelist before (and never have since) but I was impressed with how she embraced this role. Of course, she wasn’t talking about a paid position, but about her ministry role.

Last week we looked at Shepherds – those who nurture and protect. Today we are going to look at Evangelists – those who recruit.

Evangelists are those who readily share the gospel with others. They know the Bible but more than that, they know how to make it relevant to life. Evangelists are “people-gatherers” as others are drawn to them. They tend to be surrounded by non-Christians all the time. They are concerned with whether new people are entering the kingdom of God and will be focused on ministries that invite others into a saving relationship with Christ. Evangelists enjoy debate and discussion and aren’t timid about sharing their faith with others.

Evangelists are important for a church as they are often the connection between believers and the outside world. They are usually the ones who bring people into the fold and then connect them with a shepherd who will nurture them in their newfound faith. 

Evangelists can also help other Christians learn how to talk about their faith and proclaim the good news. We have many examples of evangelists throughout the Bible, especially in the book of Acts (think Paul, Philip, Stephen).

We are all called to evangelism, but some are uniquely gifted to do this ministry role. Of course, being gifted in this area doesn’t mean that evangelists can’t grow in their ministry. Evangelists can focus so much on conversion that they drop the relationship once someone comes to faith in Christ. They can also undervalue the importance of ongoing discipleship and meeting together because it feels “boring” or not as important as reaching out.

Helping to identify and nurture the evangelists in our midst will lead to church growth. The model of evangelism that the Bible gives us is one of a team approach – it’s not about one person being responsible for proclamation, but it’s small groups of people that go out to share the good news.

If you think you are gifted in the role of evangelism, let us know.

Here is the link to take the APEST/Fivefold ministry test: http://www.fivefoldsurvey.com/