Evangelism is missing today: 96 % Never Share Their Faith
This article is taken from Focus on the Family… When people are hurting, sharing good news and hope in Christ is the best thing you can provide.
>From: "Pastor's Weekly Briefing" <pwb@fotf.org>>by H.B. London, Jr.This past week, I received a copy of an interview with my friend, James Merritt, President of the Southern Baptist Convention and an Atlanta-area pastor. In the release, Merritt expressed his concern regarding the lack of passion for evangelism he sees among Southern Baptists -- which just happens to be the nation's largest non-Catholic denomination. His concern is one all of us should have for the church in North America.
Pastor Merritt made some informative observations. For instance, "It takes 40 Southern Baptists to win one convert." How many members of your church does it take to win a convert? He also noted, "96 percent of all Southern Baptists have never shared their faith." What percentage of your congregation would you estimate share their faith? He stated, "71 percent of Christians say we ought to respect other people's rights to believe what they want to believe and leave them alone." His opinion is that he would not give up his right or responsibility to do all he could to convert a person to what he believes is the only way to salvation -- Jesus Christ.
I am sure some of you might question his comments because we all approach evangelism from our own understanding -- but the passion part is very correct. Paul wrote, "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22).
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