An Evangelist Can Help Your Local Church!
Evangelist Henry Vanderbush
By Tom Shanklin
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:11-13, NKJV)
Have you had an evangelist minister in your church lately?
I once heard a story about a local church in South Dakota that held special revival services with an evangelist for several days. Much preparation, prayer, effort, and finances were invested in these meetings. After the revival services were over, the pastor expressed disappointment. He said that they had put all this effort into these revival services and all that happened is that “one snotty-nosed kid got saved.”
Well, that one snotty-nosed kid was Henry Vanderbush, who turned out to be a successful evangelist, radio preacher, and barn revivalist in the upper midwest. Many people came to Jesus through his unique ministry, and others were greatly inspired to continue in the work of the Lord, including me. Henry is with the Lord now, but the influence of his ministry continues in many places, including a local church that was established in Ruthton, Minnesota, which continues to hold barn revivals each year, which reach many people in the area.
What that South Dakota pastor failed to realize is that Jesus came to earth for that “snotty-nosed kid” and others who desperately need Jesus. Jesus said that He came to “seek and save the lost,” and that is our mission as well.
I served as a local church pastor for over 20 years before going into a traveling ministry in 2005, and I know that we can easily become so focused on the people that are in front of us each week and the need to meet the budget that we lose our perspective. We need to remind ourselves that we are in God’s business, and when we keep our focus on souls, He will take care of us and our ministries.
Having an evangelist to come and minister can greatly benefit your church, but sometimes there is a fear that the meetings might be a financial burden. However, evangelistic meetings do not need to be a financial burden to the local church. Most evangelists will come on a free-will offering basis. The church can receive its regular offering on Sunday morning and an additional offering for the evangelist’s ministry at the end of the service, and in each of the following services. This allows the evangelist to come by faith without being a burden to the local church.
There was a time when churches held extended revival meetings with an evangelist two or three times a year. These meetings would last for days or weeks with good attendance and enthusiasm. For many reasons, it’s not as easy now to draw a crowd for an extended meeting in the United States now, but that doesn’t mean that the ministry of the evangelist is out-of-date. God has not amended the book of Ephesians because of circumstances in the world. We still need all the ministry gifts, including the evangelist, to fulfill God’s purpose, but we may need to be more creative in the way that we use the ministry of the evangelist.
We have seen good success with three-day revivals, such as Sunday-Tuesday. The crowds may not always be huge, but we see people receive Christ, restored to fellowship, healed emotionally and physically, and encouraged. That’s what it’s all about! Even a Sunday morning and Sunday night meeting can be effective. Have the evangelist minister to the church body on Sunday morning and then encourage people to invite friends and family for the evening service.
We need to realize that the evangelist’s ministry is not only for those who are away from God, it is for the entire body of Christ. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians tells us that all five ministry gifts are needed “for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry.” Each person in your congregation has a ministry, but they must be equipped. The evangelist is a vital part of the training that Christians need. The evangelist brings an anointing and an emphasis that can give your people the tools that they need to reach their friends and family with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The evangelist is by definition a bringer of glad tidings. The ministry of the evangelist brings a breath of life that many churches need today. Saints and sinners alike need to hear the Good News and receive all the benefits of salvation. We need teaching, pastoral care, prophetic ministry, and apostolic leadership, but there is something about the ministry of the evangelist that brings us back to our first love and reminds us of what the Christian life is all about.
God has called pastors and evangelists to work in partnership to accomplish His purposes. This requires a mutual respect for one another and for the gift of God. The evangelist must be sensitive to the needs of the pastor and the congregation and respect the authority of the pastor in the local church. He or she must remember that when they are long gone, the pastor will still be there, doing the Lord’s work among the flock. By working together, we can accomplish more than we can alone.
As Dr. D.L Browning used to say, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” The main thing is reaching people for Jesus. When you invite an evangelist to minister in your church, you are keeping the main thing the main thing by keeping evangelism front and center in the vision of your church.
Related Posts…
How to Become an Evangelistic Church
We Still Need the Ministry of the Evangelist