Ethics of Proselytization

zippy2006 · Oct 27, 2025

seeking.IAM said:
Does Romans 12 fit into this conversation? Must every Christian be an evangelist in word?

The first point is that what is at stake in the OP is not evangelizing but being evangelized. Whether or not one is averse to evangelizing others, they should not be averse to being evangelized.

But as to your question, friends share important parts of their life by definition, so even if one does not feel called to evangelize strangers, they should still be sharing important parts of their life with friends. It would be odd if you had two "best friends" who had never met each other, or who did not even know about the other one's existence. But if God is one of your closest friends, then how could it be that your other close friends never come into contact with God through you? It would be as if my best friend had never been brought into contact with my spouse.

RDKirk · Oct 27, 2025

seeking.IAM said:
Does Romans 12 fit into this conversation? Must every Christian be an evangelist in word?

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your a faith; 7if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, b do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Well, this is where I have to get tediously pedantic.

Not every Christian is called to the office of "evangelist." We use that word in general too loosely (as we, including me), have been doing in this thread.

We see some specific things in scripture regarding people in the office of evangelist:

1. They are called and gifted as such by the Holy Spirit.

2. They are fully trained in the gospel by those who have been called and gifted to be teachers in the Church.

3. They are commissioned to a specific evangelistic mission by the congregation.

4. They are held accountable to the congregation for how they acquitted their mission.

That is not everyone.

But we each do have a responsibility to the Lord to be ready at all times to give our own personal testimonies of our experience with Him (1 Peter 3:15). We must never discount the power of personal testimony. The Samaritan woman had only a few minutes with Jesus at the well. She was not at all well versed in the gospel--she wasn't even sure Jesus was the Messiah. But her personal testimony of her own experience with Him brought the entire town to Him.

bèlla · Oct 27, 2025

RDKirk said:
2. They are fully trained in the gospel by those who have been called and gifted to be teachers in the Church.

3. They are commissioned to a specific evangelistic mission by the congregation.

4. They are held accountable to the congregation for how they acquitted their mission.

You provided the scriptures that mentioned the gifts of the spirits but nothing for the others. Everyone that ministers to the lost isn’t commissioned by a church nor is the gift solely related to that setting. Charities come to mind as do activities in the marketplace.

~bella

2PhiloVoid · Oct 27, 2025

zippy2006 said:
The first point is that what is at stake in the OP is not evangelizing but being evangelized. Whether or not one is averse to evangelizing others, they should not be averse to being evangelized.

But as to your question, friends share important parts of their life by definition, so even if one does not feel called to evangelize strangers, they should still be sharing important parts of their life with friends. It would be odd if you had two "best friends" who had never met each other, or who did not even know about the other one's existence. But if God is one of your closest friends, then how could it be that your other close friends never come into contact with God through you? It would be as if my best friend had never been brought into contact with my spouse.

Zippy, not to completely nail your tires in your arguments here because, for the most part, I agree with the general intention of what you've been saying, but have you ever been boldly (and repetitively) accosted by Christians whom you know misread and misuse the Bible in order to deliver their "evangelizing message"? I have to say that I have, and there have been times that their unrelenting and dismissive attitudes were beyond common sensibility and, I aver, even entered into what I'd call a form of verbal abuse and/or personal manipulation.

So, on one level, I agree with the general intention of clarity in your posts here, but on another level, I also agree with @bèlla in EXPECTING that Christians know how to deliver their 'evangelizing methods' in ways that most folks can recognize as something comporting to what we should expect to find in interpersonal attempts to 'change hearts' from all we find said in the New Testament.

zippy2006 · Oct 27, 2025

2PhiloVoid said:
Zippy, not to completely nail your tires in your arguments here because, for the most part, I agree with the general intention of what you've been saying, but have you ever been boldly (and repetitively) accosted by Christians whom you know misread and misuse the Bible in order to deliver their "evangelizing message"? I have to say that I have, and there have been times that their unrelenting and dismissive attitudes were beyond common sensibility and, I aver, even entered into what I'd call a form of verbal abuse and/or personal manipulation.

Sure, but I am thinking about the context of the OP and what happened there, which was a very discreet card. If the OP presented a rude or obnoxious form of evangelization, then that would have to be taken into account and we would have to approach it differently.

Everything good can be done in a bad way, but this does not undermine the fact that the underlying act is good. It is not correct to object to X because X can be done in a bad way. I of course agree that we should not do things in bad ways, including evangelization. Much of what I have been doing in this thread is asking people to identify what counts as good and bad ways of evangelization, and why. I think that is the discussion that needs to be had.

RDKirk · Oct 27, 2025

bèlla said:
You provided the scriptures that mentioned the gifts of the spirits but nothing for the others. Everyone that ministers to the lost isn’t commissioned by a church nor is the gift solely related to that setting. Charities come to mind as do activities in the marketplace.

~bella

"Everyone that ministers to the lost" is not in the office of an evangelist. That's why I said we tend to use the word sloppily. A congregation can set up a food ministry, for instance, staffed by persons with the gift of helps, not necessarily evangelists.

Regarding people in the office of evangelism:

1. They are called and gifted as such by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:2–3
Ephesians 4:11

2. They are fully trained in the gospel by those who have been called and gifted to be teachers in the Church.
2 Timothy 2:2
Acts 18:24–28

3. They are commissioned to a specific evangelistic mission by the congregation.
Acts 13:3
Acts 6:5–6

4. They are held accountable to the congregation for how they acquitted their mission.
Acts 14:26–28
Galatians 2:1–2

RDKirk · Oct 27, 2025

2PhiloVoid said:
I also agree with @bèlla in EXPECTING that Christians know how to deliver their 'evangelizing methods' in ways that most folks can recognize as something comporting to what we should expect to find in interpersonal attempts to 'change hearts' from all we find said in the New Testament.

That would be part of the Holy Spirit's gift to one who is actually called to the office of evangelism.

And I've seen that work in person truly called to the office...someone with that gift being able to speak to an individual precisely as that individual needs to hear it. It's a wonder to watch ("Wow. That was something!").

It is truly a spiritual gift, and we've seen so many ham-fisted attempts at evangelism because so many people who don't have that gift have been told everyone holds the office.

bèlla · Oct 27, 2025

RDKirk said:
"Everyone that ministers to the lost" is not in the office of an evangelist. That's why I said we tend to use the word sloppily. A congregation can set up a food ministry, for instance, staffed by persons with the gift of helps, not necessarily evangelists.

Are you equating the gift of evangelism to the office alone? Billy Graham wasn’t commissioned by a church and many would consider him the greatest evangelist of the modern age. I‘d raise a similar question for teachers too. But that’s off-topic. Now that the internet exists the net is wider. You don’t have to wait for permission or partner with local entities or rely on them funding. If churches were the lone way of getting things done we’d be in another era.

~bella

RDKirk · Oct 28, 2025

bèlla said:
Are you equating the gift of evangelism to the office alone? Billy Graham wasn’t commissioned by a church and many would consider him the greatest evangelist of the modern age. I‘d raise a similar question for teachers too. But that’s off-topic. Now that the internet exists the net is wider. You don’t have to wait for permission or partner with local entities or rely on them funding. If churches were the lone way of getting things done we’d be in another era.

~bella

Scripturally, churches are the lone way of getting things done, and I don't see that they were wrong.

And, yes, Graham was commissioned by and held accountable to his home congregation.

bèlla · Oct 28, 2025

RDKirk said:
Scripturally, churches are the lone way of getting things done, and I don't see that they were wrong.

And, yes, Graham was commissioned by and held accountable to his home congregation.

Why would I seek a church’s permission to launch a business or a platform with speaking gigs? Why would I look to them to create a charity and fund it with my own means? I can understand the reason if you’re desirous of support or they’re providing financial resources. But they don’t have the manpower to scrutinize everyone. Never mind the 501c3 which I don’t agree with nor do I like the donor model. But to each his own.

~bella

RDKirk · Oct 28, 2025

bèlla said:
Why would I seek a church’s permission to launch a business or a platform with speaking gigs? Why would I look to them to create a charity and fund it with my own means? I can understand the reason if you’re desirous of support or they’re providing financial resources. But they don’t have the manpower to scrutinize everyone. Never mind the 501c3 which I don’t agree with nor do I like the donor model. But to each his own.

~bella

We're talking specifically about evangelism and other church missions. Do you see that as merely a business?

bèlla · Oct 28, 2025

RDKirk said:
We're talking specifically about evangelism and other church missions. Do you see that as merely a business?

No I don’t and the Lord provides gifts of leadership and administration for a reason. Doing a work for the Him doesn‘t preclude business practices that make the organization sound and financially healthy. And if you don’t know how to do that you’re meant to have someone on the team who can. It‘s hard to run an organization relying on donations and the unexpected is a certainty.

When you understand human nature you know a person will drop a $1,000 for a phone but wouldn’t write a check for the same. That’s not a slight against the church but there’s a correlation with the value we attach to goods and services. People will afford what they want if they believe they’re getting something in return.

When you take the devil’s tools off the table it allows you to stretch yourself and think outside of the box. But when you’re relying on tax breaks, loans and donations you won’t do the same. Nor are the downloads as plentiful because you have a safety net. I don’t want to be beholden and the bible warns us about the lender and borrower. I don’t make the rules and the one who did can change them and I won’t have his foot on my neck.

If you let the Lord build the house He’ll tell you how to fund it righteously. You don’t have to look to the world or rely on an anonymous donor. There’s a dignity that comes forth when you can say like Abraham “that I would not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a sandal strap, so you could not say, ‘I [the King of Sodom] have made Abram rich.”

Not a business loan, mortgage or car note. If He wants me to do it He has to provide.

~bella

RDKirk · Oct 28, 2025

bèlla said:
No I don’t and the Lord provides gifts of leadership and administration for a reason. Doing a work for the Him doesn‘t preclude business practices that make the organization sound and financially healthy. And if you don’t know how to do that you’re meant to have someone on the team who can. It‘s hard to run an organization relying on donations and the unexpected is a certainty.

When you understand human nature you know a person will drop a $1,000 for a phone but wouldn’t write a check for the same. That’s not a slight against the church but there’s a correlation with the value we attach to goods and services. People will afford what they want if they believe they’re getting something in return.

When you take the devil’s tools off the table it allows you to stretch yourself and think outside of the box. But when you’re relying on tax breaks, loans and donations you won’t do the same. Nor are the downloads as plentiful because you have a safety net. I don’t want to be beholden and the bible warns us about the lender and borrower. I don’t make the rules and the one who did can change them and I won’t have his foot on my neck.

If you let the Lord build the house He’ll tell you how to fund it righteously. You don’t have to look to the world or rely on an anonymous donor. There’s a dignity that comes forth when you can say like Abraham “that I would not take anything that is yours, from a thread to a sandal strap, so you could not say, ‘I [the King of Sodom] have made Abram rich.”

Not a business loan, mortgage or car note. If He wants me to do it He has to provide.

~bella

Once again, you're trying to divert the discussion. We're talking about the Church mission being done under Church auspices rather than by lone wolves doing their own things without accountability.

bèlla · Oct 28, 2025

RDKirk said:
Once again, you're trying to divert the discussion. We're talking about the Church mission being done under Church auspices rather than by lone wolves doing their own things without accountability.

I’m not trying to divert the discussion and the rest isn‘t worth debating.

~bella

ViaCrucis · Oct 29, 2025

For what it's worth, there is a small update. During a small exchange I was asked if I was a Christian, which I affirmed. When asked what sort of church I attended I answered honestly, Lutheran.

I do believe she means well, so for those whose focus was on the details of my story (though I want to emphasize that my intent, originally, was not to focus on the details of my anecdote, but address a larger picture). Though there was some discomfort when she was trying to push a book from her church's tradition (Apostolic) about spiritual warfare. I didn't believe it appropriate, while on the clock, to engage in theological debate; so it was largely an uncomfortable situation. But, I do want to be clear: I do believe her intent is sincere. Though I also believe that if I offered my own frank opinion, she would be offended--which I did not share.

In the same way that my original intent was not to hyper-focus my personal experience; but rather discuss a more general subject. I also don't want this to become a theological quibble. I am more than happy to engage in debates and conversations on the subject of "spiritual warfare" on more appropriate boards here on CF.

But, for whatever it's worth, I want to bring closure to the fact that I do think she means well.

-CryptoLutheran

Fervent · Oct 29, 2025

ViaCrucis said:
For what it's worth, there is a small update. During a small exchange I was asked if I was a Christian, which I affirmed. When asked what sort of church I attended I answered honestly, Lutheran.

I do believe she means well, so for those whose focus was on the details of my story (though I want to emphasize that my intent, originally, was not to focus on the details of my anecdote, but address a larger picture). Though there was some discomfort when she was trying to push a book from her church's tradition (Apostolic) about spiritual warfare. I didn't believe it appropriate, while on the clock, to engage in theological debate; so it was largely an uncomfortable situation. But, I do want to be clear: I do believe her intent is sincere. Though I also believe that if I offered my own frank opinion, she would be offended--which I did not share.

In the same way that my original intent was not to hyper-focus my personal experience; but rather discuss a more general subject. I also don't want this to become a theological quibble. I am more than happy to engage in debates and conversations on the subject of "spiritual warfare" on more appropriate boards here on CF.

But, for whatever it's worth, I want to bring closure to the fact that I do think she means well.

-CryptoLutheran

I don't think sincerity alone mediates the more problematic issues that come with the hyper-focus on evangelism that so often passes for being missional. It is far too common for well-meaning people to engage in dehumanizing high pressure sales tactics in the name of evangelism, and there's a lot floating around there that rarely gets discussed or reflected upon. You raise an important topic, which ultimately boils down to whether or not we'd want to be subjected to sales tactics that focus more on getting to "yes" than on natural relationship building and following the Spirit's lead on when and where to make a proclamation of the gospel message.

I say this not to denigrate street evangelism, because God works through it all, but to point out that we must look and act like Christ if we are to be effective witnesses. We must pay attention not only to the pathos and logos of our message, but also to the ethos.

RDKirk · Oct 30, 2025

Fervent said:
I don't think sincerity alone mediates the more problematic issues that come with the hyper-focus on evangelism that so often passes for being missional. It is far too common for well-meaning people to engage in dehumanizing high pressure sales tactics in the name of evangelism, and there's a lot floating around there that rarely gets discussed or reflected upon. You raise an important topic, which ultimately boils down to whether or not we'd want to be subjected to sales tactics that focus more on getting to "yes" than on natural relationship building and following the Spirit's lead on when and where to make a proclamation of the gospel message.

I say this not to denigrate street evangelism, because God works through it all, but to point out that we must look and act like Christ if we are to be effective witnesses. We must pay attention not only to the pathos and logos of our message, but also to the ethos.

People who are spiritually gifted for evangelism do not have to rely on high-pressure sales tactics.

FireDragon76 · 2025-11-09T22:44:45-0600

zippy2006 said:
What would you have preferred them to do? How do you see the charge to evangelize?

Aversion to proselytism seems to be a secular and rather anti-religious dogma. The reason someone within a secular culture would be averse is because they would be taught by secularism that proselytism involves insincerity and an objectification of persons. But anyone who is a Christian believes in evangelization and arguably proselytism, and there is no reason to believe that evangelization must be insincere or involve objectification. Many would take it as a compliment that someone cares enough about them to broach a subject they deem serious. That someone cares enough about you and the faith to take it all seriously.

(I am presuming that this person does not know that you are a Protestant Christian, and maybe that's part of the difficulty here.)

Evangelization and proselytism are two separate things.

Your own church has made a good definition of proselytism, and why it's problematic.

Most of these churches that push their members to engage in proselytism are heavily shaped by voluntarist and consumerist assumptions about the nature of faith and religion.

RDKirk · 2025-11-10T08:03:55-0600

FireDragon76 said:
Evangelization and proselytism are two separate things.

Not in scripture.

Jermayn · 2025-11-10T11:24:41-0600

ViaCrucis said:
I could have put this in a Christians-only section, but I wanted this open to non-Christians.

Somewhat recently I had an experience at my work; for context I work at a popular retail warehouse store, I don't work for them but I do work in that warehouse, along with vendors of other companies who operate in the same space. A lot of people from different companies all operate within the same space, and naturally we interact with one another on a regular basis. As such I've built up friendly relationships with a lot of people who I interact with regularly.

Over several months I have interacted with a certain individual, it's always casual always friendly, but they work for a different company than I do. However several weeks ago this individual gave me a card, it had a pretty picture of sunflowers on it, and I didn't think much of it, I smiled, thanked them, made a comment about needing more sunshine in my life, that sort of thing. I slipped the card away and didn't really take a look at it until after work. Well, it was a Gospel tract disguised as a card.

Receiving religious material isn't the weirdest thing that's happened to me at my job, but usually it's customers leaving things on a cart, or slipped between food items to be found by a random passerby.

But this particular experience gave me pause and a thought: Has this individual's actions and behavior toward me, their demeaner, their friendliness (etc) been part of an attempt at proselytizing. I mean, I'm a Christian and the card/tract was generically Christian enough that I have no idea what denomination they are part of. I wasn't offended obviously, but it led me to wonder to what degree their interactions with me came from sincere comradery, or whether it is a kind of "missionary" tactic.

I may not have thought this except that, growing up in a particular kind of Christian environment, missionary-friendship and missionary-relationships were considered a valid "tactic" at trying to make converts. So that background does mean that I am aware that this is something that exists. It's not part of my current religious practice, but it was in the background I was raised in.

And I guess here's the point: When I thought about this, I felt a kind of betrayal. As though this person had been insincere in their interactions with me, I felt like a target, or an objective--not a person. And again, I wasn't angry, I wasn't particularly offended, but I felt dehumanized--even if just slightly.

As I was thinking about all of this again this evening, I wanted to open up this topic more broadly. Because I have a feeling many people--especially people outside of my religion--know exactly the feelings I felt, and I thought this could be a good topic of discussion. And ideally, a way for Christians like me to learn more, take feedback, and consider the ethics of religious outreach.

A secondary thought I had in all this: In some ways I feel like I would prefer a total stranger leaving a tract or pamphlet than someone who has been regularly interacting with me. There is a sense in which now I question and doubt the sincerity in friendliness of this person that I didn't before. And that's kind of an awful feeling to have. I'm not angry with them, or offended, but I now doubt their authenticity toward me. And I feel like this experience I had might provide me with a slight amount of insight and empathy with those who experience this more regularly.

-CryptoLutheran

Did they stop being friendly after he gave you the tract or is their attitude toward you still the same?

Ethics of Proselytization

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