The Presbyterian understanding of evangelism does not draw its impetus from the question of whether or not someone is going to heaven or to hell when they die. This isn’t the way that Presbyterians tend to believe the faith is spread. Here’s what I mean: I used to think that inviting someone to church was a sorry excuse for evangelism. “Tell them about Jesus,” I’d say, “Not the church!” But then after seminary and spending time leading congregations and watching how they worked, and watching how God worked through them, I realized something. The great commission is, of course, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is Jesus Christ’s commission to the Church. God has chosen, through the Holy Spirit, to work through the Church collective. I feel we have individualized this too much. I realized, that when we invite people to church we are recognizing that if this person would just come experience the Holy Spirit through the worship and fellowship of this community then God just might do something in that person’s life through the life of the covenant community that could never been have done through me as an individual. It is the Church that is to go, to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Transformation happens within the community. I’m seeing that happen right now through our congregation in the lives of several folks. Their concerns were not whether or not they were going to heaven or hell. Their concerns were that they wanted a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and with the community of faith. That may take longer and be a bit messier than asking questions about eternal destinies (which are important questions, but not the best starting point) that may or may not lead to a moment of conversion that may or may not “stick” in the long run.
Some evangelists seem to see salvation as punching a ticket for heaven. My personal opinion is that evangelism that emphasizes this way of thinking about it is responsible for the negative view of the church held by so many today, and it utilizes a tactic that has been used again and again and has been rejected again and again. I have never found anywhere in the Bible where Jesus asks someone where they are going when they die. He does not say, “Nicodemus, do you believe in heaven and hell? If you died, where would you go?” While I do certainly believe that eternal life comes through Jesus Christ, I just don’t think this questions makes much sense with our theology and view of salvation.
The covenant community of the church is of utmost importance in Presbyterian theology. This is evident in our beliefs about everything from Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to church government to Bible study to evangelism. I think that this Presbyterian Church (USA) understanding has a lot to offer people in a society that has individuals so isolated from one another in the midst of being more connected (electronically) than ever. A response to this loss of connectedness and community and the power of a congregation living out our faith together and witnessing together is the approach that is the most authentic, holistic, historically prevalent (pre-1800’s or so), and the most Presbyterian. Salvation is, at least in part, the coming into this relationship with God and God’s people and having the Holy Spirit transform us into new creations who are heirs to the promise of eternal and abundant life, which begins now and goes on for eternity. That seems to me to be the witness of the gospels that attest to the gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is not presented as being simply analogous with heaven after death.
So now I believe that inviting someone to church is very much a form of evangelism instead of just being a cop out. I also believe that each Christian needs to be able to give an account of their faith when called upon to do so, but I really think that it is through the community of the church that real evangelism takes place. Invite someone to church and then we’ll love them, invite them, and disciple them in their faith. I won’t do it for you, but, with God’s help, I’ll lead us in doing it together.
