“Why don’t you just take a pastorate?”
I can’t tell you how many times over the years that people have said that to me. I want you to know up front, I am in no way downing the office of pastor. It’s difficult work. I know from experience. It is at times, frustrating and at times, rewarding. Most people have no idea the amount of stress pastors face every day. I came to appreciate that as I pastored a small church for 6-1/2 years.
I just know that I am not called to pastor a church. God didn’t equip me that way. Plus, I have tried it and it didn’t turn out so well.
As an evangelist, my passion is focused on sharing the gospel and equipping others to do the same. I love engaging people one-to-one in a gospel conversation. I love standing on a street and raising my voice with the Word of God. I can preach to thousands of people at once and God has allowed me to do so in the past.
It’s what I do best. I don’t mean to sound like I am bragging – I’m not. I know who I am and how God has used me.
It is not because I have some special spiritual gift of evangelism either. No such spiritual gift exists. The office of evangelist exists, but you will not find any spiritual gift of evangelism listed in the Bible. New Testament spiritual gifts are for the building up of the Body of Christ. Evangelism is something that is practiced with those who are outside of the body of Christ.
But, I’m getting off track here.
My desire is to lead believers to engage their community. Most church bodies say they want to reach their community, but in practice, they really want their pastors to minister to their needs.
Shepherding is what pastor’s do. As an evangelist, I struggled with that aspect of being a pastor. Not that I don’t care for people. I do. It was just hard for me.
In my experience, most churches don’t know what to do with an evangelist. As I have talked to other evangelists, they have said the same thing. We tend to be mavericks – which is not necessarily a bad thing or a good thing. Some times it get’s us in trouble, while other times, it helps us blaze a trail. As the old saying goes, “the pioneers are the ones with the arrows in their backs.”
When I am witnessing, preaching, training others, or writing about evangelism, I experience joy and freedom. I find fulfillment. I give it my all…100 percent. If I don’t see obvious, immediate results from my efforts, I’m fine with that. I know that God is at work behind the scenes. Evangelism is sharing the gospel in the power of the Spirit and leaving the results in God’s hands. I can’t save anybody.
You may not have been called to be an evangelist, but you have been called to be a witness. (See Acts 1:8) I am your biggest cheerleader! I will help you. Mentor you. Push you out of the nest and watch you struggle to fly. But fly you will!
While churches are utilizing evangelists less often these days, I see evangelists taking it to the streets. That is where we belong anyway. In the marketplace, among the lost – sharing Jesus. God hasn’t stopped calling evangelists to ministry by any means. If you are called to the office of evangelist, do what you must to make it happen. Make tents. Raise support. Whatever it takes!
Don’t be ashamed of your calling. God called you, not man. Follow His voice. Trust Him alone.
Until the Net is Full,
Darrel
