The question was well-intentioned, I'm sure.
It came from a parishioner during last weekend's congregational meeting as we discussed the qualities the church might seek in a new senior pastor. I don't remember the phrasing, exactly, but the gist of the question was: "The new minister won't be an EVANGELICAL, right?!"
I think what the questioner meant was something along the lines of "the new pastor won't be a fundamentalist, right?" Certainly a person with such a theological perspective would not be the best fit for Marble. Or perhaps the questioner was thinking specifically about whether the person would be "in line" with our present pastor on certain particular hot-button theological issues.
But I am concerned about the negative connotations that were given to the word "evangelical." You see, I consider myself an evangelical Christian.
What does "evangelical" mean? The word's origins are from the Greek word "euangelion," which in the New Testament means "good news." An evangelist is a bringer of good news. And in the New Testament, the "good news" is God's saving love for the world in Jesus Christ. I would hope that all of us who come to church are "evangelicals" in this sense! We love the good news that comes in Jesus.
In modern America, however, "evangelical Christianity" has come to refer to a more theologically orthodox way of being Christian. Well-respected church historian David Bebbington has defined evangelical Christians as persons who embrace 4 distinct beliefs:
- conversionism: the belief that lives need to be changed
- activism: the expression of the gospel in human efforts
- biblicism: a particular regard for the Bible
- crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross
Now, granted, there are ways that each (or all) of these beliefs can be stretched to their extremes, so that an evangelical might become a "fundamentalist." But in and of themselves, believing in these 4 concepts puts one at the very heart of the Christian tradition.
"Evangelical" need not be a scary word, in concept or in reality. In fact, I might even suggest that we should hope and pray that our next senior pastor be a warm, gracious, soulful, peace-loving, thoughtful, eloquent, unashamed evangelical Christian.