the word” (Acts 8:4). The laity went everywhere preaching the Gospel. The result? The Imperial Roman Em- pire became the Holy Roman Empire. Could this happen in the USA? The second principle follows. The


pastor is to equip the saints for evan- gelism. (Ephesians 4:12). For him to do this, he must be equipped. This was EE’s founder, Dr. D. James Ken- nedy’s experience. In the late 1960’s, while leading a failing church plant in Ft. Lauderdale, he was invited to preach a revival in Georgia for Ken- nedy Smart (“the smart Kennedy,” he would say). Many came to Christ, but not through his preaching. Rather, ev- ery day they visited in homes where Dr. Kennedy, in shock and awe, watched the smart Kennedy leading these people to Christ. Returning to Ft. Lauderdale, he did the same, tak- ing a deacon with him. EE was born. The third, perhaps most critical


Taking Down the Wolf


“So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.” (John 10:12)


By Bill McClain T


he above passage is not true of the ARP. We have stood fast against the wolf of cultural compromise, false doctrine, and shallow preaching. However, we have not done as well going after the lambs in the wolf’s


mouth. For years, our annual growth by adult profession of faith has fallen well below 2%. As Moderator Holmes has said, “It is critical that we do something different.” One possibility is the ministry of Evangelism Explosion (EE). Most pastors I meet have heard of EE, and many have been trained in it. As


for me, I grew up in it. I came to Christ in 1973 through men trained in EE and soon found myself evangelizing in the homes and on the beaches of Ft. Lauder- dale. I went through the ranks, becoming an EE certified Teacher-Trainer, teach- ing it while in seminary, then in the ARP and PCA churches which I pastored; using it in sermons, counselling, pastoral visitation, and in my casual contacts. However, in 2008, I realized I wasn’t doing enough. I committed myself to go- ing into the neighborhoods every week sharing Christ. In 2013, I was invited to serve on the EE field staff. My work is to connect with pastors and help them to establish our training in their churches.


What is EE? The gold standard for EE is the textbook, Evangelism Explosion, 4th Edition,


(Tyndale, 1996). It develops four fundamental, biblical principles from which EE has never wavered. The first is that every Christian is to be a witness. In Acts 8, a persecution had followed the martyrdom of Stephen. The Church, ex- cept for the apostles, was scattered “… and they went everywhere preaching


4


and difficult principle, is “On the Job Training” (OJT). Evangelism is “more caught than taught,” and you simply cannot “catch it” in a classroom. You catch it in live field experiences. Jesus taught His disciples this way. OJT frightens most people, but once out there, with a veteran trainer leading, they find that many people are open to talk about faith. They see people come to Christ. They see Christians encouraged in their faith. They see the wolf flee. Imagine the impact of this on their life. Imagine the impact on your church. The fourth principle is that wit-


nesses should multiply witnesses. Disciple makers are to make disciple makers. Paul teaches this in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Imagine the joy of training a soul winner, who in turn trains soul winners. Imagine Jesus’ joy. In 1975, Tom Stebbins, missionary to Vietnam, was on the last helicopter off the roof of the Sai- gon embassy. Reviewing the years, he mourned that he was leaving no one behind to continue the work. Vowing to never do that again, he


The Associate Reformed Presbyterian


Synod Emphasis


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32