Tag Archives: Evangelism

Do the Work of an Evangelist

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Every Christian understands the importance of evangelism, but sadly it is on the decline in many churches. And the scarcity of evangelism has led to the decline and closure of many churches. In this issue of the Faith Pulpit Dr. Daniel Brown, faculty member of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary, challenges pastors to follow the Biblical command to “do the work of an evangelist.” If pastors will carry out their responsibility, more people will have the opportunity to hear the gospel and our churches will thrive again.

Lessons from the Reformation for Biblical Fundamentalists

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Fundamentalists today face the challenge of wanting to reach more people but still guard the purity of their churches. In this article Dr. Ken Rathbun, a graduate of Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary and the academic dean of Fairview Baptist Bible College in Jamaica, gives us insights on this matter from the Reformation period. In his second article he applies the lessons from the Reformation to contemporary fundamentalism. One of the ironies of the Reformation is that though the Reformers had separated from the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformers attacked other groups of the time for separating from them.

Unity Versus Purity

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The same conflict we saw in the Reformation can be seen in contemporary Christianity in North America and the rest of the world. Pastors in Baptist circles today (or heads of institutions or agencies) have choices to make when trying to expand and extend the influence of their church in the community or the constituency of their organizations. Aiming for unity (lowest common denominator of beliefs and/or holy living) will most often result in larger numbers of people, but it does not produce the fruit one might desire.

Toward a Christian Approach to Culture

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How should a Christian understand and relate to the prevailing culture? Ignore it? Accommodate it? Engage? The answer to that question determines a Christian’s effectiveness in life and ministry. In this article, Dr. Paul Hartog, professor at Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Ankeny, Iowa, explores the issue of culture and Christianity from a thoroughly Biblical perspective and offers helpful instruction for properly relating to one’s culture. Five Basic Models In 1951 the Neo-orthodox theologian H. Richard Niebuhr authored the highly influential Christ and Culture, in which he proposed five basic models: “Christ against Culture,” “Christ of Culture,” “Christ above Culture,” “Christ Transforming Culture,” and “Christ and Culture in Paradox.”

The Christian Education Committee in a Local Church

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A church’s Christian education program is a large part of its overall ministry. It involves more people and more programs than any other part of a church’s life. How can a pastor effectively organize and coordinate the different parts of the Christian education program? By utilizing a Christian Education Committee. In this issue of Faith Pulpit Don Anderson, professor of Christian Education at Faith Baptist Bible College, explains the value and function of the Christian Education Committee. Christian education is an important part of a church’s ministry.

Seeker Sensitive or Sinner Sensitive? Part 1

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Maybe it’s just me, but does it seem as if many are saying that no one has been “sensitive” to “seekers” until the end of the twentieth century? One gets the feeling from such writers that, until recently, most Christian evangelism was overly aggressive, mean-spirited, and did everything possible to turn sinners off to the gospel. But, now, thanks to contemporary cultural relevancy, the world can finally be won because now we can understand and truly reach out to the sinner.

Babel, Part 2

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Concluding the topic introduced in September’s issue, Dr. Whitcomb discusses God’s purpose for the division at Babel and His plan for its reversal. Peleg, which means “division,” was the name which this particular descendant of Noah and Shem acquired by virtue of his presence at the scene of God’s judgment of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 10:25). Surely, loving parents would not have named their son “Peleg” at the time of his birth, anymore than Nabal (= “fool”), the husband of Abigail, would have received such a name at his birth (cf.

A Church Worth Choosing

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“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). It is an old truism that if you ever find the perfect church, don’t join it, or you will spoil it. Families in this country move once in about five or six years, and usually the believers among them will face the concern of finding a church to join. Of the standards they observe in making their choice, all the doctrines and practices might be summed up by asking, Is this a place where they feel comfortable?

Lessons in Church Planting from the Apostle Paul

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Many people have a mistaken idea of missions. If you ask them, “What is a missionary?” they immediately think of someone who goes to a foreign land, learns a foreign language, and works in a foreign culture. In one sense they are right, but in another they are wrong. They are right in that many missionaries do go to foreign lands. They do learn foreign languages. They do work in foreign cultures. However, they are wrong in thinking that this is true of every missionary.

Three Principles for Biblical Church Growth, Part 1

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Unchurched millions beset us on every side. Despite this alarming reality, too many Bible-believing churches spiral down negative growth curves. Discouraged pastors may consider implementing trendy solutions; after all, changing times demand drastic measures. Some recent church growth methods work in a post-Christian society, but not all church growth is Biblical church growth. How should we reach the citizens of a post-Christian society? God’s Word provides the answer. The believers of pre-Christian Antioch faced similar obstacles. Their story, recorded in Acts 11:19–30, provides three principles for Biblical church growth.