During the past few years, in my role as director of the Wycliffe College Institute of Evangelism, I have had the opportunity of speaking at national, provincial and diocesan synods, and of leading clergy conferences and evangelism and congregational development workshops in 23 of our 30 dioceses.
In that time I have also spoken and corresponded with clergy across the country on issues of congregational leadership and development.
Based on this experience, here are a few reflections on how the Decade of Evangelism, now entering its eighth year, has influenced the life and thinking of our church and on what the future might hold. These reflect my personal biases, as one who is theologically conservative and liturgically liberal. They may not resonate with your own.
For a long time in much of our church, the Great Commission was (and in many cases still is) the Great Omission. The very word "evangelism" had fallen on hard times and developed a bad reputation. Many were reluctant even to use the word, let alone think about how to do it.
Perhaps one of the most significant contributions of the Decade has been that it has pulled evangelism out of the shadows and forced us to talk and think about it. As we have been able to think about many of the stereotypes associated with it, and to explore some of the reasons why we feel culturally and theologically intimidated by it, the word has experienced a certain rehabilitation.
There has also been a greater acceptance that evangelism is a ministry in its own right. No longer does the word evoke the automatic response: "Everything we do is evangelism." There is awareness, to be sure, that the other ministries of the church will do much to affect the integrity and effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts, but the ministry itself - getting the story out and inviting outsiders in - is not so frequently confused with or identified with these other ministries.
Likewise, this intentional focus on evangelism has provided us with the incentive to once again ask some of the very basic questions of ministry. Why do we do what we do? Why do we do it the way we do? Who are we? What does it mean to be the "people of God"? What does God expect of the church? What does faithfulness mean, and what does it look like?
At the beginning of the Decade, the Archbishop of Canterbury suggested that many parishes would be well advised to have no other agenda for a full year than to teach, think and reflect about what it means to be the church. He was exactly right. The Decade has provided an opportunity to bring these questions back onto the parish agenda and many congregations have done so. Many more should.
In a way, the Decade has provided an opportunity to test the pulse of the church. Congregations and clergy asking questions like, "How can we be more effective in reaching outsiders?" have been forced to ask much deeper questions, such as, "Do we have a faith worth sharing?" "Do we have a church worth inviting people into?" "What are we offering of genuine value?" Congregations that are asking these difficult and sometimes painful questions are on the way to a more effective future.
These questions have also led to new realizations about the changing context of our ministry. The "maintenance/mission" terminology has become part of our everyday vocabulary.
We speak of "post-Christendom" and "post-modernity," understanding that culture no longer leads people into our churches. The Judeo-Christian narrative no longer has a monopoly on the spiritual and ethical formation of Canadians.
These realizations present a stimulating challenge to the church, but they are also the source of much frustration and (in some cases) despair. More and more clergy are becoming aware that they have been prepared for ministry in a social and cultural context that no longer exists. They are given a good foundation in biblical and theological studies, and even, to various degrees, helped to develop certain skills for ministry. But they are given little help in practical and essential issues such as how to read culture, how to name and address its false gods, how to connect with people for whom the church has no meaning, how to lead people into a vital faith, and how to discipline them towards spiritual maturity and equip them for ministry in the church and the world.
Many para-church organizations are offering conferences and seminars on these issues, but most do not really understand the Anglican church from the inside out. There is a crying need for more "home-grown" help in this area, from those who have actually done this work effectively while bearing the weight and responsibility of congregational leadership.
Where these resources are provided there is generally an enthusiastic response, as clergy and congregations seek to equip themselves to develop more effective ministries. Unfortunately, in some cases, repeated disappointment and discouragement leads to a negative response to these challenges. This sometimes takes the form of denial and sometimes of cynicism.
Some choose to convince themselves that the church is having a hard time because the call to Christian discipleship is so costly. Undoubtedly, discipleship is costly, but many declining congregations are not really calling anybody to sacrificial discipleship; they are simply ineffective in connecting with people, and will eventually disappear if they don't face up to this.
For those who have become cynical in ministry, my heart breaks, and my deepest hope is that we might be able to offer practical help that would assist them to reclaim joy in ministry.
One of the major challenges for the immediate future remains that of continuing to develop a distinctly Anglican style of evangelism that will not only respect the dignity of those we seek to reach, but also engage them with an informed and articulate explanation of the Gospel and a sensitive invi-tation to join up with the people of God and learn to follow Christ.
This will involve improving our discipleship training methods in congregations, developing more celebrative styles of worship and equipping our people to share their faith in culturally sensitive ways. It will involve teaching clearly about the evangelistic imperative that is at the heart of the Gospel, and helping congregations to understand that tolerance and pluralism do not mean remaining silent about our convictions. Rather, tolerance means explaining our convictions clearly and sharing them in an invitational way.
This represents a formidable challenge. It's a good thing that Lambeth decided on a Decade of Evangelism rather than just a year or two. But the Decade is really a decade of preparation for evangelism. Our learnings from this decade will prepare us for effective ministry in the next century. At least, that is the hope and that is my prayer.
