Is Evangelism Ever a Sin?

Ethical Evangelism in a Watching World

Some would be shocked to question that evangelism (i.e. proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord) could ever be a sin. How could it be possible that intentional outreach, the centerpiece of world evangelization, could at times be wrong? After all, is not the primary responsibility of believers to evangelize all peoples, in all places, at all times, at all costs? With that as a given, how could it be suggested that evangelism could ever be ethically wrong or downright sinful? To think so would be paramount to pulling the plug on the Great Commission itself!

I remember years ago arriving on the Indonesian island of Papua (then called Irian Jya) as a rookie missionary. I soon learned that the churches of another "Christian" group down the coast had better church attendance than we did in my mission's area. How shocked and dismayed I was to learn that their success was built on the mission's practice of enticing villagers to church by free handouts at the end of services. As the villagers exited the church door, they were each given a handful of tobacco. No wonder they had better attendance! A give-a-way, no matter how small, went a long way in a society of subsistence living.

"Outsiders are looking

in on mission activity,

waiting to pounce on

missionaries,

with the slightest excuse

if it can be inferred they

use ethically

questionable evangelism."

As disturbing as this revelation was, I was equally appalled to learn that 150 years earlier the first Protestant pioneer missionaries . . . more

Member Spotlight

Featured in June:

Avant Ministries

New Tribes Mission

ReachAcross

Welcome New Associate Members

In 3 categories:

Theological and Mission Training Insitutions

Church

Mission Pastor

For these and more download the entire June 2010 Visions.

If you would like to receive Visions, please use the Contact Us form.