What Happened to The Evangelist?

I write this with a heavy heart as the majority of the churches no longer care to use or allow Spirit-led evangelists into our churches. My own denomination has only a handful of evangelists left and they are starving due to the lack of use. The great revivalist Charles Finney is a man I continually read and still amazed by. How God called a lawyer out of law and used him to preach grace! How we need another Finney to rise up and say the truth in boldness and in power. The majority of the churches have slid into a hole of satisfaction.I remember growing up in church, having the evangelist come and conduct special meetings that would go on for a week, two weeks, sometimes even months. Today, most churches would never dream of having extended meetings for fear of no one showing up. It amazes me how the numbers game has gotten to the point that unless we can draw a large crowd it is not worth having. Noah would have never built the ark with his congregation (all in the family, too)!I want to be used in the calling God has placed on my life, but the doors have closed in my face so many times, it can be very discouraging. Last summer, I was on vacation reading the accounts of the Welsh Revival by Evan Roberts. That man was moved to prayer and requested 100,000 souls for God and his prayer was answered! I believe the greatest need of the church today is to become the house of prayer as Jesus said it would be. Not a house of programs, entertainment, and noise which will never set people free.A powerful outpouring of God's presence, which can not be manufactured by man, seminars, teachings, and 10 step programs. Knees so sore to walk on should be the greatest prayer need in our churches due to being on them. Unfortinately, most people's pains are found else where.Would you agree with me and take the time today to get alone with God and seek His face to awaken the church and bring a freshness that has not visited this nation for years? Would you draw a circle on the floor and stay inside it until you are revived yourself?Jesus said in Revelations 3:14-"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man (or woman)hears my voice" This backslidden church Jesus went to was so far out of knowing the presence of God, Jesus was actually outside the church knocking. The majority of our churches are doing this fatal mistake today. The good news is that Jesus said if any man heard His voice. Revival can start with one person who is willing to hear the voice of God. To allow him in and begin to move through him/her in ways that are impossible in the natural.I request your prayer, that God will open the doors for me to go and preach messages He gives me that will turn America back to God. I challenge you to join me to seek His face. Will you pay the price for the millions of souls still without Christ? Will your eyes fill up again with tears for the countless souls that are dying and falling deeper into sin? Will you turn off the noise in your own home (TV, radio, Internet, etc.) and create holes in your carpet from rubbing your knees on it daily?WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER GREAT SERMON, WE NEED A VISITATION OF HIM WHO CAN SET THE SINNER FREE! THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN DO MORE IN FIVE MINUTES THAN A PREACHER CAN PREACH IN A LIFETIME! OH GOD! HEAR MY HEART TODAY. FORGIVE US OF OUR CONDITION AND DO NOT VOMIT US FROM OUT OF YOUR MOUTH! RESTORE AND REVIVE THE WORK YOU STARTED LONG AGO WITH OTHER GREAT REVIVALISTS OF THE 1700, 1800, and 1900 CENTURIES. DO YOUR FIRST WORKS AGAIN I PRAY!GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SEEK HIMBECAUSE OF HIMKELBY

yblek,Great post!I have also felt that God may be equipping me for ministry via evangelism, but I'll go whereever He leads. It's good to know others want revival like they used to have.

Umm... where is it taught in the Bible that evangelists visit churches to preach a series of meetings?

This is in deed a fact.I read recently that almost 65% of all evangelists have left the field in the last 5 years. Part of the reason is the great amount of sacrifice it takes on the part of the traveling evangelist. Consider being away from wife and children almost 6 months per year, and living in a motel is no picnic. The evangelist has a great deal of isolation especially in the church. Because thier message usually addresses issues in each church head on, often times unknown to the evangelist, they tend to be avoided by thier brethren, and so they usually only have limited fellowship while on the road.Now that's one side. Other side of the coin. Many churches are trying to get growth in numbers, and often in thier bank accounts for nessary things like building funds, salaries, staff, etc.. A church operates much like a buisnes does and unfortunitly they often set thier priorities the same way a buisness would. When an evangelist comes in what the church loses is the offerings and often times they also have to put the evangelist up and feed him or her. So it can get expensive to have one in. Last thing, Anointing--- The role of an evangelist is to bring in fresh oil from heaven for the people and also for the pastor. Many pastors live in a state of tiredness, and weariness. I've often stated that if I can't give the pastors something from God on a personal basis that inspires them to keep in the press, than I've failed, no matter what the results of the meets were. Lets face it, when the evangelist leaves the pastor is still there and has the same job and duties he had before, only with a spring in his step now, hopefully----prayerfully. Paul told Timothy to be instant in season and out of season. It is really hard to get in front of a congregation no matter what you are, pastor, teacher, evangelist etc... , when you're out of season. Sometimes we all need jump started. I always try to encourage the congregation that it's a body ministry and everyones a key participant in the ministry within the local congration. I have volumes I could say but this is enough. Bro. Daryl

sb1175, what urged you to say that? my heart breaks at the millions of names in the book of life that you were chosen to reach and yet turn your back on because you consider worship as spending time in a building with open book hearings and readings. worship is your very actions with which you honour God, dont loose sight of that, and please i implore you to speak out more that we may reach into your life more and when you express what's relevant to your life out of the midst of confusion we, your brothers and sisters of the faith can reach out and instruct you from our past trials, much the same, yet already having overcome them. worsphip is reaching out and havings Gods heart forpeople aswell, and it greatly ppleases him when you come to be filled in your spirit because your spiritual hunger will be satisfied so you can go and give that same satisfaction to another hungry spirit, i tell you, feed yourself and oureach more!much love and blessings be on your life buddy, -arbustum

I agree that the church needs to be revived. The church needs conviction of sin in its midst, but we must never neglect the sinners in this world. We must always seek the lost and tell them about Jesus.Amen.

KJ,Here is a wikipedia's definition of Philip the evangelist:He was one of the seven deacons chosen to care for the poor of the Christian community in Jerusalem (Acts 6). He preached and performed miracles in Samaria, converted Simon Magus, and met and baptised an Ethiopian eunuch in Gaza, traditionally marking the start of the Ethiopian Church (Acts 8). Later, he lived in Caesarea with his four preaching daughters, where he was visited by Paul (Acts 21).It is clear the Philip the evangelist was on the move.Ephesians 4:11-12: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints"When saints need perfecting, sometimes an outside source is necessary. Today I think there are many churches that are in dire need of an evangelist. Everyone is making copies of copies instead of going to the original. A great sermon is "Building a New Testament Church," by Curtis Hutson (it is not on this site).Think about how much of a blessing the sermons on the website are. These sermons have changed my life, and I would never have heard such a variety of great speakers just sitting in my home church. Many Christians won't take time to download mp3 sermons, and they get tunnel-vision from their Sunday pew. An evangelist could break this cycle.

letsgetbusy,Indeed, I was thinking of Philip the evangelist as our model for an evangelist. However, where in Philip's ministry did he go around preaching a series of meetings from church to church? All I see is Philip going around preaching to the heathen. There is no Biblical basis whatsoever to the notion of an evangelist being one who goes church to church to stir up slumbering congregations and give pastors something to eat for a change. God bless

According to the greek, an evangelist is:http://bible1.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=2099&version=kjv

Just on a personal note, I believe if anybody here feels called as an evangelist, Biblically speaking, I believe your primary preaching is going to be done outside of the Church, very likely on the streets. The ministry gift of evangelist for the Church, I believe will ultimately be in provoking others to do evangelism. It seems Biblical speaking, itinerant ministry within the Church seems to be areas primarily for apostles and prophets.

KJ,It seems that we are both basically thinking alike, but are both splitting hairs of minor points, which I suppose what this site is all about.Concerning open-air, I couldn't agree more. My witnessing buddy and I have been doing one-on-one street evangelism, and both want to warm up to street preaching at the local square. After reading the open-air preachers on this site, I have thought about starting Sunday morning meetings there before going to my own church. So there we agree.We also agree about evangelism. I think saints, every last one of us, should be instructed around the fact that we are all commanded to be fishers of men. Which, by the grace of God, is underway at our church, via an evangelism ministry.Concerning traveling "church" evangelists, I know where you are coming from. I know that salt will not cure a wound, but only preserve what is good. However, during an awakening, as I have heard from the likes of Charles Finney, J Edwin Orr, Duncan Campbell, etc, that these sleepy, backslidden Christians are brought to repentance during these revivals. I understand there is not a Biblical program for the traveling evangelist, but I don't limit it to the open-air, any more than I limit it to the inside of a church building. This type of evangelist could light a spark in one heart that could later become an spreading inferno in time.Wesley preached only 6 times in churches out of his last 600 sermons, but he did preach in churches. I don't think you would dispute the work of Leonard Ravenhill. He was certainly open-air, but he also got around in churches. I have ran into three people lately who had him come to their church. One of which catered to him during his visit, the other had Brother Len come to his house. Since God is not concerned with brick and mortar in reference to where revival starts and ends, I see that people on both sides of the church walls need an awakening alike. And as J Edwin Orr says, "May God grant it."

It seems that we are both basically thinking alike, but are both splitting hairs of minor points, which I suppose what this site is all about.To some degree, I think we both firmly believe evangelists travel and that they preach :) I think where we differ is concerning their target audience. Regarding Finney, Wesley and the like, while their primary gifting might have been as evangelists, I think they probably had other giftings as well. Wesley seemed to be quite the avid teacher as well. Many ministers seem to have several giftings. However, I think it quite sad that one somewhat large church near me sponsors one of our denomionational evangelists, and on their web site they put this evangelist as their "outreach" minister. Yet, all he does is go from church to church to preach "revivals." Granted, there are likely some unsaved people at the Churches he goes to, but this is hardly what I'd call outreach.

According to Eph. 4:11, an evangelist's gifting is for the church to train them to do the work of the ministry of evangelism. An evangelist is not someone like Charles Finney or anyone else who goes out to preach the Gospel. An evangelist is someone in the church who has the purpose of training others how to share their faith. People who go out to seek and save the lost have another name. I have come to this conclusion after much in depth research and personal experience. The Greek term that is used for this person is the much used but little understood term...wait for it...CHRISTIAN.Christians share their faith. As Spurgeon said, if a professing Christian has no concern for the lost, then they are not saved themselves, be sure of that. To get equipped, check out www.livingwaters.com and www.thegreatnews.comlawevangelist

Thanks,We have established that there are two different types of function for or of an EVANGELIST,According to Ephesians Chapter 4There are three things the Evangelist must keep in mind, that1. First, to walk worthy of their calling; 2. Second, the spirit in which they were to do so;3. Third, diligence in maintaining the unity of the Spirit by the bond of peace. It is important to observe, that this unity of the Spirit is not similarity of sentiment, but the oneness of the members of the body of Christ established by the Holy Ghost, maintained practically by a walk according to the Spirit of grace. AmenI am very interested in this, and will diffently look into the links you have provided. I just love that NAME 8-)