“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5
This is part of a letter written by the apostle Paul to his young protégé Timothy. It makes me think, wow, it is not easy to be a pastor! We see here the summary of the pastoral duties and responsibilities: Word and Sacrament.
However, it is crucial to recognize that pastors cannot do everything themselves! That’s why “…the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:2-4
The Evangelist in the Texas District
The Texas District believes the evangelist office will help us carry out the core mission of the district within the mission field God has called the district to. An evangelist is an office of the church dedicated to “serving the tables” by reaching out to new people with the Gospel—those who are not followers of Jesus—and helping those people holistically to grow as disciples and to serve others as the church. Not be confused with the call of every Christian to “evangelism,” or to share the gospel with their neighbor, the “evangelist” is a role within the local church in which a lay individual goes out into the community and “serves the tables” with the Gospel, relationships, and good works, engaging with the community and creating new faith spaces.
The Evangelist in the Scriptures
In the scriptures, three times, the word evangelist comes up. Twice Paul calls out the office and encourages its use (Eph 4:11-12, 2 Tim 4:5). Philip gives us a living example of the work (Acts 6:5).
The Evangelist in the Confessions
The Lutheran Confessions state, “The Keys [the means of grace and the authority to share God’s gifts] have been given to the Church, and not merely to certain persons, ‘Where two or three are gathered in My name…’ (Matthew 18:20).” This section in The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope goes on to mention the royal priesthood articulated in 1 Peter 2:9 (Treatise, 68-69).
The Evangelist in the LCMS
2013 Resolution 4-06A Task Force Report, stating, “The task force recommends that a major emphasis in lay training programs be placed on the role of evangelist and the task of outreach in the increasingly diverse and challenging world of the U.S.” At the 2016 LCMS convention, resolution 13-01A, “To Extol and Equip the Blessed Partnership between the Royal Priesthood and the Office of the Public Ministry,” was adopted. It resolved, in part, “That congregations and districts be encouraged to identify individuals for special training in and attention to evangelism and outreach.”
Would you “serve tables” with us as we create spaces for the Gospel together?
After all, we are being fed and cared for by God through our pastors to share the word in our community; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. So, we are to always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill our ministry.
The process of becoming a certified evangelist is simple:
- Walk through the Texas District Evangelist Training process with a certified trainer.
- Fill out your Evangelist Ministry Plan.
- Get commissioned, certified and sent on mission.
For more information to go to https://txlcms.org/lay-evangelist-training/.
This article was adapted from the Evangelist Training curriculum to be published this summer.