Emerging Church and Evangelism

One area that the emerging church struggles with , it seems, is how to consider evangelism. There is a tendency to downplay or be particularly cautious about up-front evangelistic efforts. The reasons for this are many: reacting against over-zealous evangelism in the evangelical church that had no regard for people as individuals, a misappropriation of St. Francis’ calling to ‘preach the gospel – use words if necessary’, or fears that coming into a relationship with an agenda to evangelize is deceitful or arrogant.

Through some reading I was doing at The Ooze, I came across an interview with Todd Hunter, who has been a participant in much of the emerging dialogue while also being a strong advocate for evangelism and church planting. I am most familiar with Todd through his work with the Association of Vineyard Churches (which he directed for a number of years). He was also the National Director for the Alpha Course in the US until fairly recently.

I appreciated his thoughtful approach to the discussion of evangelism within the emerging church context, so I’ve cut and pasted part of it here.

• Why do many in the emerging church seem to be afraid of evangelism?
What do you think are the valid excesses to which they’re reacting?

They are afraid because there is a huge tension regarding intention to evangelize anyone. In most of the emerging, alt-church scene it is currently a pretty big foul ball to have a previous aim of evangelizing someone. I understand the impulse; I have seen all the abuses that produce the reactions that leads us to deconstruct past norms.

My goal the last few years has been to stir up an imagination for evangelizing that avoids manipulation. Because these days, in most conversations I partake in, intention is simply taken to be a synonym for manipulation. The concept in my mind has been this: the answer to misuse is not “no” use, it is right use. I think there are ways to explain Christianity and help others come to faith that are not manipulative, not just pragmatic, but actually “holy”—and a part of the winsomeness of our faith.
Against the backdrop of this tension about intentionality, here has been my big idea:

Envision with me evangelism and discipleship/spiritual formation bathed in the Golden Rule and the Great Commandment. Doing so gives me an imagination for how to lead, share my faith and grow as people; to intend things in ways that others around me are actually freer themselves, not less so. Whether correcting, dining, rebuking or attending a wedding, Jesus was himself utterly and totally free. As a freed man, safe in his Father’s love, as a servant, he was free to intend to do things.

In the last little community I started in Southern California, I had a saying everybody knew about and hopefully experienced: I do not want things from you; I want things for you. But you will always be free to pursue the course that seems best to you and the Spirit. Such an attitude, and the actions that naturally spring forth from it, can be a basis for removing the tension from evangelism.