There is a growing consensus that the church's evangelistic ministry must be rooted in the theology of the church's mission.
Evangelism is much more that methods of member recruitment or church expansion.
This course develops a theological understanding of evangelistic ministry, examining the biblical foundations of evangelism, the reductionism of the Gospel which characterizes evangelism in the western tradition, leading to the formulation of a theology of evangelism which is missional, Christocentric, and informs the practice of evangelism. The theological approach taken stresses the central role of the local congregation as the Spirit's instrument for evangelistic outreach. For many in North America, evangelism is either one program among many in the church's list of activities, or it is a highly questionable undertaking practiced by clever manipulators of the electronic church. For the renewal of North American Christianity, a theologically rooted and focused understanding of evangelistic ministry is essential. This should emerge out of the church's understanding of its calling to be God's missionary people.