Truth, Justice, and the Way of Evangelism

By Howard A. Snyder and John Carter Adams

(Editor’s note: This article discusses dimensions of evangelism initially introduced in the authors’ previous article, “Evangelism and God’s Kingdom on Earth.” The Light + Life team encourages you to read that article before reading this one.)

Culture evangelism is the global impact of the church — beginning in the local context and reaching worldwide. It means shaping the societies and cultures of the world through the truth of God’s kingdom.

This requires the church to engage society in all its sectors — the arts, economics, education, science and technology, virtue and morality, philosophy and worldview. This dimension of evangelism calls Christians from every sector to bear effective cross-cultural witness to the truth of the gospel by both word and deed.

Culture evangelism can have many dimensions, because culture is so complex. It includes witnesses who engage the mind and imagination of society (its thought-world as well as its acts).

The principal founder of Methodism was the Rev. John Wesley, who was born June 17, 1703, in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, and died March 2, 1791, in London. John and his brother, Charles, were used by God as the organizers and sparks that created the Methodist movement. How did these Methodists engage the culture of their day? Among other things:

1. They went where the people were, which resulted in John Wesley venturing out with open air preaching.
2. They used the musical tunes of the culture, even adapting bar songs to convey the gospel message in song. Charles Wesley was a master at this kind of engagement.
3. They used mass communication to get out the message. The spoken word, tracts, songs, and books were common avenues for the Wesley brothers.
4. As early as 1730, the brothers engaged the culture in a variety of other ways. They visited Oxford prisoners, taught them to read, helped them to find employment, and created a system to pay off debts. They eased the lives of paupers and impoverished people by distributing food, clothing, and medicine. Eventually, the Methodists opened schools so people could learn to read.

These examples from 300 years ago reformed the culture of England. This historical change was the foundation that later changed the hearts of the people in England and the United States to outlaw and abolish slavery.

Justice Evangelism

The Free Methodist Church has a ministry of justice evangelism called International Child Care Ministries (ICCM). The organization answers Jesus’ commission to care for the poor and orphaned children of the world. ICCM provides education, food, clothing, and basic medical care to thousands of children in more than 40 countries, cooperating with approximately 100 schools serving some of the poorest areas of the world.

The organization partners compassionate people with needy children. Each sponsor makes regular support payments to provide his or her child with not only a more promising future, but also a more comfortable present. Letters are exchanged between sponsor and child, and often personal — even familial —relationships develop. Some sponsors even make the effort to visit their children.

The education that ICCM provides to children around the world is a means of life and liberation. Many children go through the program and emerge as leaders in their local and national communities. The loving attention that was shown to them as children inspires their service to others. In fact, several of the ICCM national coordinators were once sponsored children.

Justice evangelism does not apply only to children, or even human beings. As Adam was put in the Garden of Eden and tasked with tending it, so by extension, we are charged to care for our environment, and there are serious consequences for failing to do so. In fact, the health of the nonhuman created order and the health of people, especially the poor, are intimately connected.

In Jeremiah 12:1, the prophet complains to God: “You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice.” Why do the wicked appear to prosper, he asks, and “how long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished” (Jeremiah 12:4a). God responds: “It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares” (Jeremiah 12:11).

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“Culture evangelism is essential if societies are going to be transformed to reflect the reality of the kingdom of God.”

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Land (like humanity) is often the victim of oppression. Eden: People+Planet (formerly known as Eden Reforestation Projects) is an excellent example of justice evangelism at work in the natural world. More than 10 million mangrove trees have been planted in Madagascar. In Ethiopia, Eden planted three healthy young forests, which have encouraged wildlife growth, ceased flooding and erosion, refreshed springs, and improved the quality of local soil.

Reflecting Reality

The Bible presents a picture of reality (worldview) and a narrative (world story) that are distinctly different from all the world’s philosophies, myths, religions, and ideologies. Scripture reveals God’s truth, demonstrated supremely in Jesus Christ and in His reign, so culture evangelism is essential if societies are going to be transformed to reflect the reality of the kingdom of God.

The dimensions of evangelism are, of course, closely intertwined. Together they form one picture: the proclamation and living out of the reign of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Holistic mission means combining dimensions of evangelism within each local church and in the church globally. In a future Light + Life article, we’ll explore two more dimensions of evangelism: discipleship evangelism and conversion evangelism.

What’s your calling? How’s your evangelism?

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