The Evangelist

The Evangelist is known to be part of the five-fold ministries, and has been given to the Church for a very specific purpose. However, we must differentiate between evangelism, which is the responsibility of the whole Church (Acts 11.19), and the ministry of the Evangelist, who is anointed by God to proclaim what Jesus accomplished on the cross in order to lead people to repentance and salvation.

Furthermore, there seems to be a lack of understanding, or revelation, as to the function of the Evangelist in the Church today, the conception being that the Evangelist is someone who just travels around winning souls for Christ. It is a misconception that needs to be addressed, as many itinerant Evangelists end up being accountable to no one, their independent ministries leading them to feel disconnected from other Christians, alone and discouraged. Yet, three things are very clear from the Scriptures: firstly the Evangelist always forms part of the eldership of a local church; secondly, he is always sent out from that local church to exercise his ministry outside the Church, to non-Christians; and finally he has a role to play in the perfecting of the saints in that local church. Thus we see that the anointing of the Evangelist is necessary for the edification of Christians in the local church.

A ministry that operates as part of a team
Even though the Evangelist is not mentioned very often in the book of Acts, the examples we do have, show that the type of independent ministry around today, simply didn’t exist. Philip was a prominent Evangelist, mentioned in Acts 21.8. We see his ministry in action in Acts 8:5 as he preached the Good News of Christ. What is evident from Acts 8:14 is how the Evangelist works in partnership with other ministries. Peter and John, hearing what had happened after Philip had evangelised in Samaria, felt the freedom to go to support him. Philip, who was originally from the church of Jerusalem, gladly accepted the added spiritual investment brought by the Apostles, who were elders in the same church as he was. There was true unity as the different ministries worked together for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Philip had no intention of starting a new church with those who had been converted. On the contrary, he remained accountable to the team that had sent him. He was free to obey the Holy Spirit, while at the same time being submitted to the body of elders, which was a great protection for him. He knew that he belonged to a team in which each was ready to give their lives for the others.

To share the grace of God with the lost
As with all the five-fold ministries, given by Jesus to perfect His people, Jesus Himself is our example… We read in Isaiah 61 that He had been sent to “preach the good news to the poor”. This is the anointing the Evangelist carries. It gives him the burning desire to reach out to the lost and proclaim the Good News of Christ, so that as many as possible will be converted. When he preaches, he doesn’t need to enter into deep academic teaching or theology, but preaches on the sufferings, death and resurrection of Christ with a demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power, and people are cut to the heart, repent and turn to Jesus. Through his anointing, people will always feel the love and grace of God for them. They will never feel condemned, judged or manipulated. That is why the message of the cross is so important to the Evangelist, because it is the cross of our Lord Jesus that demonstrates the depth of God’s love for us.

To bring repentance
The true Evangelist also knows that in order to be saved and cleansed from your sin, repentance is essential; not just a superficial invitation to Jesus to come into your heart. In Acts 2, Peter preached the simple message of the cross of Christ. When the Jews heard his words they were cut to the heart and cried out, “What must we do?” Peter didn’t reply, ‘Just invite Jesus into your heart.’ No! He said, “Repent…” Through this anointing and the message proclaimed, the Holy Spirit can bring men to repentance.

To equip Christians
Furthermore, according to Ephesians 4:11-13, the Evangelist plays an important role in the perfecting of the saints. As mentioned above, he has a role to play in the local church, and one to play in the world. The idea many Christians have that he is a roving agent in the Lord’s service is wrong, therefore, for what benefit can he be to the local church if he is never there? He must be able to impart his passion for winning souls to the people of God and show them the importance of sharing the Lord’s love with others. Witnessing for Jesus is a sign of our spiritual maturity, and in this way the Evangelist contributes to the Christian’s growth. We should recognize the necessity for this ministry in the Church, as much as for the other five-fold ministries.

Sent out by the church into the world
It is clear that a true Evangelist needs to go out, of course! He is free to go where the Lord leads him, because of the relationship, submission and trust that exists between him and the other elders. As he is sent from the local church, he knows he has their and support and that of the church, and reports back on his return.

Accompanied by miracles
The mark of a true Evangelist is that his message will be accompanied by miracles and healings as a demonstration of the power of God. Seeing the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrated through miracles, faith is imparted to hearts and many believe that Jesus is the Son of God and their Saviour.

Therefore, because of the responsibility he has, it is important that the Evangelist’s life is an example of one given to Christ for the Church.

Personal Testimony
From the moment I was born again I’ve had a burning passion for reaching out to the lost. For the first 15 years of my ministry I was doing a lot of evangelism crusades in Zimbabwe, from where I come, and in neighboring countries too.  I saw miracles and God’s power being manifested in a great way.  I was totally independent and hiding behind the gift of ministry God had given me. The gift consumed me and I wasn’t interested in the spiritual health of the church I was a part of. I was often frustrated, because I thought others didn’t share my own personal ‘vision’ for the lost.

As a result, there was no unity at all between the leadership of the church and we fought and disagreed on most things. I was totally self-centered, carnal, and unspiritual.  And, needless to say, even though many came to know Jesus, I could not see much fruit in the life of the church.  When in 1989 I first came into contact with Miki Hardy and the apostolic gospel, I was deeply challenged by the message that he preached and the life of the church that I discovered in Mauritius. God began to strip me of my independence and break my pride, as death began to work in me. Today, even though nothing has changed as far as my zeal to share the gospel is concerned, I now have only one desire, which is to identify myself with the cross of Jesus.

For the past 18 years I have been part of a growing apostolic team of men from all nations, cultures and races. My life and ministry are completely surrendered to the team of elders the Lord has put around me for my protection and growth, as well as that of the church I oversee. I’ve personally discovered, as can be seen in the book of Acts, that no ministry can develop to its full potential without being submitted to, and in relationship with, a body of elders in the church. The gift God has given me is still in operation in my life.  I still find it so easy and natural to share my faith and testimony with anyone I meet at churches, schools, youth groups and one to one. I can see the fruits in the lives of many in the church, and in so many who are coming to the church as a result of being born again. I thank God for rescuing me from the bondage I was in and setting me free to serve Him in joy and freedom with the wonderful team He has placed around me.

Basil O’ Connell-Jones is pastor of Grace Gospel Church, which meets in Pinetown, KZN.  He is a member of the apostolic team of CTMI.