The challenge facing Evangelicals (Bulldog for December)

We stand at one of the most exciting periods of human history. It is truly 'the best of times and the worst of times'. Modern technology is transforming our lives. We perform keyhole surgery with laser beams, we put cameras on Mars, we have more leisure time, more shops, more choice, more holidays, more TV channels, more power over our daily lives. In today's brave new world a virgin can bring forth a son.
But there is an awful truth. And it is this. We face a spiritual peril in which so many in society have everything to live with and nothing to live for. We are a society in danger of 'gaining the whole world' but at the expense of 'losing our own souls'.
Britain now has a new political mood. It needs a spiritual renaissance to match it. But Christians must never seek to change or re-invent the gospel message simply to suit the mood of the moment.

Evangelical identity

Politicians and newspaper columnists are forever telling the church to 'go with the flow' on issues like cohabitation and homosexuality; that the church has no right to criticise government policies that lead to social breakdown; that we must accept that abortion-on-demand is a fact of life; that euthanasia is the inevitable way forward in an age of choice.
I disagree. The gospel of which we are unashamed is right for our times. It may be inconvenient but it is relevant to the human condition. We are not ashamed of the cross which speaks of unchanging truth about forgiveness and wholeness in an age when crime rates leap beyond the reach of the police and politicians, and where there is so much vengeance and brokenness.
There is also a crisis of evangelical identity facing us, both here and abroad. In one sense it is nothing new. 'I know what constituted an Evangelical in former times...' complained Lord Shaftesbury, the greater reformer, 'I have no clear notions what it constitutes now.'
Or to quote Spurgeon: 'It is a mere chant to cry 'we are evangelical'... only yet decline to say what evangelical means.'
There will be tough debates ahead. That is inevitable. But we must remember two things. First we are first and foremost 'Good News' people-not merely a debating society. A watching world is unlikely to grasp the nuances of our important theological arguments. Secondly, we still have more which unites than divides us.
There are still certain things that define evangelical faith:

* We must affirm together and wrestle with the implication of the authority of Scripture as God's final and inspired word for the human condition.

* We must insist on the centrality of the Cross of Jesus as the only way to forgiveness and for fellowship with God.

* We must be prepared to say that personal conversion is essential. That there is no other way to be a part of Christ's Body unless it happens through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. It is called Justification by Faith. If evangelicals refuse to say this few others will.

* We must recognise that social action is part of our mission. Caring for the marginalised, the sick, the helpless. For faith without works is dead. Evangelicals must stand together in unity around these non- negotiable essentials. None of us wants pragmatic unity at the expense of biblical truth. Neither should we be driven by exclusive definitions of truth which choose to ignore what God is doing beyond our own traditions.

21st century

The evangelicalism of the 21st century must learn to appreciate legitimate diversity. The multifaceted nature of British evangelicalism - black, white and Asian, Pentecostal, charismatic and conservative evangelical, Armenian and Calvinist, must be held up as a visible model of the New Humanity before a watching and fragmented world.
As we stand on the threshold of a new millennium we stand in a momentous time. Evangelicalism may distract itself from its main mission of engagement by important internal discussions of secondary matters. It may on the other hand 'Seize the Moment' by responding with relevance and credibility in answering the unspoken invitation of our contemporary society. This is no time for a 'time out' from the needs of our neighbours.
It is not the time to tip-toe through our culture. It is a moment of opportunity for the gospel in the market place of ideas and cultural choices. The Evangelical Alliance has recently invited its members and friends to join together in seizing this moment. We do so with a clear recognition that God has called us to a servant posture. As Paul puts it, 'so men ought to regard us as servants of Christ' (1 Corinthians 4.1).

* We will continue to serve our members by maintaining an evangelical voice to media, the press and government. We will develop and equip a team of spoke persons to represent a credible evangelical voice on behalf of our members in the United Kingdom. We will also equip local and regional bodies to engage with local and regional media.

* The Evangelical Alliance has always insisted on acting with, through and on behalf of our members. This partnership ethos will be enhanced. Our former coalitions, bringing societies and individual expertise together, will be transformed into Networks and Partnerships for Change, working on a variety of issues affecting our society. We will seek to be more effective in working with our societies, members and churches in evangelism, racial justice, religious liberties and the protection of life.

* The Alliance will promote good models of discipleship for the local church and resource local churches to be discipling centres of holistic mission. In May 1998 the EA with member groups and others will launch a new 30-month-long disciple-making process. This learning process is aimed at helping churches produce members who are increasingly mature in their faith and able to relate it to contemporary society.

* We will enhance the work of our Commission on Unity and Truth among Evangelicals (ACUTE) and attempt to be courageous in dealing with the theological hot potatoes which erode our evangelical unity. Through the work of ACUTE we will continue to pull together the wide spectrum of British evangelicalism to think, talk and pray together in the same room.

* A good friend in senior church leadership once admitted that his church had 'under-invested in its leadership to the sum of 25 years.' It is a pattern all of us in leadership should seek to break. The Alliance has a rich heritage stretching back 151 years. We also have a fresh commitment to invest in the future. We are committed to encouraging our churches to nurture emerging leaders and to act on behalf of youth and children through our member society.

* We are grateful for the strong partnerships throughout the UK. With Alliance colleagues in Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and the Black and Asian evangelical communities. We are also aware of the need to develop our regional presence north of Watford. We aim to introduce over the next two years two regional pilot schemes using part-time volunteer staff in order to build firmer relationships with our member churches.

* As the millennium approaches the public debate on morality will inevitably gather speed. As this debate picks up momentum we are committed to raising the evangelical perspective, it must be neither muted or naive.

So we are unashamed in our activity because the gospel is also about the story of the empty tomb. It is profoundly a story of irrepressible hope. The cross and the resurrection are the 'twin towers' of the gospel.
We witness because of the empty tomb. We work because of the empty tomb. We challenge the prevailing values of our contemporary society, loving and serving our neighbours because of the empty tomb.
Our pledge must be the commitment among ourselves to unite in our diversity as evangelicals. We stand together recognising that we are servants of a great mandate to take Christ to our world through words of truth and deeds of kindness.

This is the moment we must seize in the name of Christ. We do it because we have been privileged and empowered to do so. We do it because the gospel has no fear of the 21st century and is still God's way of changing our world.

The challenge facing Evangelicals (Bulldog for December)

Evangelical identity

21st century

Mr Joel Edwards

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