EVANGELISM

Modern Strategy of Evangelism in Rural English Setting - Method and Planning in Today's World

Abstract

The term evangelism is often used in the context of Christianity. It is the relaying of beliefs to those who do not hold the same beliefs. However, more recently it has been found that Christians, in particular those who are living in the rural areas of Europe have somehow moved away from their Christian roots. With reference to these people, the paper attempts to understand the concept of contemporary evangelism, the importance of Christian practice in rural England and the strategies that can be designed in order to evangelize the rural English people.

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Evangelism1

The need for evangelism2

Life in Rural England4

Understanding Social life5

Strategies to enhance Christian Worship6

Dissemination of ideal practice through Media6

Networking and Partnerships7

Urban Missions7

Applying John Wesley Philosophy8

Conclusion8

Reference9

Modern Strategy of Evangelism in Rural English Setting - Method and Planning in Today's World

Introduction

Evangelism is a very well known concept in Christianity in the olden times. However, more recently it has been found that Christians, in particular those who are living in the rural areas of Europe have somehow moved away from their Christian roots (Mackay, 2005, p. 16). With reference to these people, the paper attempts to understand the concept of contemporary evangelism, the importance of Christian practice in rural England and the strategies that can be designed in order to evangelize the rural English people.

Evangelism

The term evangelism is often used in the context of Christianity. It is the relaying of beliefs to those who do not hold the same beliefs. Those who specialize and master in this art are called evangelists. This can be a position of leadership in that the evangelists have the chance to preach in large meetings and are sometimes given the role of governance too. Good evangelic practice comprises of invitation and not confrontation. However, the underlying objective always remains confrontation. The origin of Evangelism can be dated back to the times of William Carey and John Wesley. John Wesley was not only gifted as a writer, theologian, philanthropist, educator, leader, and organizer but he was certainly an unparalleled evangelist (Tuck, 2007, p. 210). Following him, many of the other Methodist preachers too became evangelists. The tradition of evangelism has continued through the ages and has remained an essential component of Methodist church.

Being a Christian, it is the responsibility of all followers to share what they know of their religion. This helps people create a personal relationship with their Creator. In this context, it is imperative to state that evangelism is not mere preaching. In fact, it is a combination of multiple techniques to achieve the underlying objective. Some people often confuse evangelism with a program or a method. This could not be farther from truth (Gupton, 2006, p. 104). The purpose of evangelism is to help understand why are there on the face of the earth and why do they need to be spread the word of the Lord. Put simply, an evangelist is the preacher of the ...