Leum's Epistle to the Pastor of a Local Church

Dear Pastor [redacted],

A member of your congregation recently knocked on my door and gave me a pamphlet and invited me attend your church. While I thank you for your concern, I do not think your current method of evangelizing is particularly effective.

In the first place, your congregant was clearly uncomfortable with distributing this pamphlet. This is not unsurprising. Evangelism requires the development of a relationship with the evangelee, where the evangelist demonstrates by word and deed the changes that Christ has made in his or her life. It is a slow process, motivated by sincere love. And this love cannot, by the very nature of love, be a mere means to an end (i.e. converting the person), but must be a genuine appreciation of that person.

Compared to that, giving me a pamphlet is about as warm and loving as an automated phone call. It left me with no sense that your congregant cared for me in the slightest, that I was anything more to him than a potential convert, and possibly not even that. I may have simply been a notch in his belt, done more to satisfy himself that he was trying to bring people to Christ. Reading your page on your "Soul Winning" ministry made this seem all the more likely. Calling evangelists "soul winners" implies that their sole aim is to bring people to your church, not to change their lives for the better, let alone to make them part of the community of the Body of Christ. I realize that this is not the case, it is simply a poor choice of wording combined with a poor evangelism technique that gives this impression.

While conversion is necessarily a part of any church's mission, it is best effected in accordance with James 2:14-17. If I am without food, what do I care for salvation? My need for food will be far more pressing. A church that feeds and clothes me will be far more likely to turn me to Christ than one that does no more than send a "soulwinner" to me with a pamphlet. I personally am lucky enough to be able to support myself, but my point remains, as I would have been far more impressed had such an offer been made.

I was happy to see from your pamphlet that your church does engage in at least one ministry of true evangelism. I am referring of course, to your addiction program: Reformers Unanimous. Addiction is a serious problem, one that affects many people in my life. However, your pamphlet merely mentions it in passing, and even your web page provides little explanation of what this ministry does. It is clear that it is based in Scripture, but I have no idea how your church uses Scripture to help people with their addictions.

I also wish to discuss your pamphlet. It is, I am sorry to say, not very good. It tells me almost nothing about your church. I do not know anything about your theology beyond your soteriology, I do not know anything about the community your church provides, I do not know how large your church is, I do not know how it can help me (spiritually or materially). In short, I came away from your pamphlet with little more than an address and the times of a few of your services.

The inner panels ("God's Personal Invitation to Heaven") are particularly ineffective. There are three categories of people who might read your pamphlet: 1) those who have already turned to Christ and who would be far more interested in knowing what your church thinks should happen after salvation. Being already saved, they will have little interest in your soteriology.

2) those who have some confidence in the Bible, but are not committed to Christ. They may be swayed by the pamphlet's Bible verses, but they too will also be interested in what it means to be part of your church. An open door means little if the room beyond is dark, while a closed door with light in the cracks and the sounds of laughter may be far more inviting.

3) those who have no confidence in the Bible, or at least not the New Testament. Whether they are Jews, Muslims, atheists, Buddhists, Wiccans, Hindus, agnostics, Sikhs, or any of a dozen other religions, quoting the Bible will mean little to them. Why should they have trust in this book you are quoting? What does it mean to them? Far better to show them what you as a church can offer them, rather than the threat of an invisible Hell and the promise of an unseen Heaven.

Thank you again for your concern.

Sincerely yours,

[Leum]