Acts20.com

For those of you who are pastoring and rarely if ever bring an evangelist in to preach,favoring instead to use another pastor, would you mind sharing your reasoning?I’ve heard all kinds of reasons through the years, and I’m just curious if those are still viable (in your opinion) or is there something else driving your decision “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

First, what is your definition of an evangelist?

An itinerant preacher or someone who plants and establishes churches where there are none

I’ll answer your question even though you sidestepped mine. An evangelist as I have been taught is each and every one of us who are saved. In the context to which I am asking, an Evangelist is one who travels either to a church or other facility in order to preach the gospel for the sole purpose of winning the lost or encouraging the faithful. I do not define an Evangelist as a church planter, though others may do so I suppose “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.��

Ron are you a pastor or evangelist? OTCP, I have been a church planter as well as a pastor. If I were to be labeled anything today it would most likely be an Evangelist, if the definition of an Evangelist is one who preaches the gospel either in a church or other facility for the sole purpose of winning the lost or encouraging the faithful “Hell will be filled with people that didn’t cuss, didn’t drink, and may even have been baptized. Why? Because none of those things makes someone a Christian.”

I’ll answer your question even though you sidestepped mine. An evangelist as I have been taught is each and every one of us who are saved. In the context to which I am asking, an Evangelist is one who travels either to a church or other facility in order to preach the gospel for the sole purpose of winning the lost or encouraging the faithful. I do not define an Evangelist as a church planter, though others may do so I suppose. I didn't sidestep, I asked for clarification of your definition. That being done, I will answer. I always used pastors for revivals because I knew them, they had demonstrated their stability, and I found that they had a common vision. This is not to say an evangelist cannot.But through the years, I saw too many pastors have to spend a ton of time doing damage control after an evangelist would tear things up through questionable doctrine or just remarks made from the pulpit. So I chose to use fellow pastors.Now may I share a personal observation valid to no one but myself?A lot a people we call evangelists are pastors without a church and just waiting for one to open up.Just my personal observation

I’ll answer your question even though you sidestepped mine. An evangelist as I have been taught is each and every one of us who are saved. In the context to which I am asking, an Evangelist is one who travels either to a church or other facility in order to preach the gospel for the sole purpose of winning the lost or encouraging the faithful. I do not define an Evangelist as a church planter, though others may do so I suppose. I didn't sidestep, I asked for clarification of your definition. That being done, I will answer. I always used pastors for revivals because I knew them, they had demonstrated their stability, and I found that they had a common vision. This is not to say an evangelist cannot.But through the years, I saw too many pastors have to spend a ton of time doing damage control after an evangelist would tear things up through questionable doctrine or just remarks made from the pulpit. So I chose to use fellow pastors.Now may I share a personal observation valid to no one but myself?A lot a people we call evangelists are pastors without a church and just waiting for one to open up.Just my personal observation. Ditto! Charles A. HutchinsSenior Pastor SPWCCongregational Church of Godwww.spwc.church

this doleful circumstance?In years gone by and when I took my exhorter's test a major question asked, a question no where I could find could to be legitimate in the materials given for me to prepare, was, Have you conducted at least two weeks successful revival?When I answered, No. there was a look of horror and they asked, Why not? I replied, I've been pastoring for five months. They passed me.During Camp Meeting there was a deluge of eager evangelists soliciting me to allow them to come conduct a revival. This was the mentality of the age and set the paradigm some pastors lament - untested, unproved evangelists wanting to fill their schedule (they depended upon it to make ends meet).The more successful and the more bookings to fill their calendar, they saw as a hope to achieve their goal - to be one of the State Evangelist (with the financial benefits, as well as the notoriety).Many, if not most, had a change in calling from Evangelist to Pastor. Some had run the circuit so long there was no freshness. Some married, had kids, and needed the stability (these thoughts are what I've been told by men who made the transition). We missed it somehow. Many of the eager evangelists sitting on our pews should have been taught to become lay speakers who functioned chiefly in the local setting. They would have, should have been an invaluable tool to the local pastor - provided the local pastor was not of the jealous type (another unfortunate contribution to the mix.When I served on the State Ordination Exam Board, I began to believe we made the process way too easy. I was/am not against wanting to help those who want to serve, but too many were motivated by the glamour, the excitement and were not serious about their Bible Study - just a few red hots is all they needed rather than spending the time necessary to craft a message God may have wanted the local congregation to hear.As a district pastor I attended a revival where a man I sat on the Ordination exam and signed the ordination reluctantly. Just didn't feel right. He was preaching to a dead house and so he got excited and said something off the wall (I don't remember what it was) and excitedly came to where I was sitting and he said, Isn't that right, Brother Ledbetter?I just sat there and stared at him and he took off running to the other side of the church and everybody got excited.I can remember thinking then, I wish I could take my name off his papers.I believe the Church of God system contributed to this doleful circumstance.By the way, if you need an evangelist (not looking for a church to pastor or espouse an off-the-wall message, but a message of salvation, revival, restoration, and the Return of Jesus our Messiah), give me a call.While I have some major themes I believe God wants me to address, what I usually do is sit down and ask, Lord, you had Jesus write the seven churches a specific letter for each respective church. Is there something specific You would like for me to address at this church (to which I was going to preach)? God-HonoringChrist-CenteredBible-BasedSpirit-Led

I've answered that question before, on this forum, as a matter of fact. I use pastors 99% of the time. Here is why:I've never had a fellow pastor preach to my congregation on giving...just before his offering is received. I've never had a fellow pastor play games during the altar call like, Straighten the crooked leg, or Is anybody here named John, Bill, or Joe? I have word from the Lord from you?I've never had a fellow pastor speak to my congregation in an arrogant, condensing tone, when he didn't get the response he wanted.I've never had a fellow pastor provide me with a needs list prior to coming. (specific brand of bottled water, snacks for the hotel room, etc)I've never had a fellow pastor abandon an altar call, so he could go man his product booth, in the foyer.I've never had any of that mess with a fellow pastor.I've had all of that mess with evangelists

Re: Hasn't the COG "System" Created