I read an interesting blog by Marshall Shannon reporting the results of a survey he conducted of pastors responding the the question, “What are the top three challenges pastors are facing as they seek to fulfill the Great Commission?” (see www.ministrydesignconcepts.com) The answers to the question were quite telling, and confirm my contention that pastors don't have time to carry out the great commission, or to even lead the effort; rather, I believe they should enable lay people to lead and conduct local evangelism in a major way. That is the underlying theme in my book, The Hands of Christ, and will be the underlying theme in my next novel, and I hope in all my novels to come.
I've become a writer specifically to advance the message to the church in America that it is failing to carry out the Great Commission in our own country. While 82% of Americans say they believe who Jesus is, in polls only about 47% say they attend church regularly, and researchers have concluded that in actuality only about 20% of Protestants and 28% of Catholics attend each Sunday. I think that believing is not the issue. Rather, the issue is having faith in Jesus, or as many denominations practice, accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Greek word translated as believe is literally translated as to have faith. Obviously, many people believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but roughly half of them haven't placed their faith in Him. That means that their lives are not being governed by faith in Jesus, but by other things, or other spirits.
It's the church's place to make known to people the importance of giving ourselves over to the governance of Jesus and entrusting our eternal futures to Him. Let's not abdicate our responsibility to pastors who don't have time to do it. Don't get me wrong. It's not a simple issue. Evangelism properly carried out must be carefully organized and people must be thoroughly trained. I've tried to portray this in The Hands of Christ. But the pastors aren't going to do it. We lay persons are the ones to make it happen.
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