Recently, I was at a meeting where we discussed the work of the church and what we were seeing in the baptisms and growth taking place throughout the Northeast. We noted that half to two-thirds of the growth the church has experienced has come from “immigrant growth”—individuals who are living in the United States but were not born here.
Of course, we praise the Lord for all who decide to follow Jesus Christ. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of where we were born. However, the discussion led us to two questions, “Why is it that our message seems to resonate more with individuals new to the United States than those born here? Why does it seem that it is more of a challenge converting our own people?”
Those questions led to an interesting discussion. Is it the Laodicean condition? Are Americans too “rich, and increased with goods?”—Revelation 3:17. Are we not investing enough money in this area? Some places are seeing more growth than others. Is it because they have better preachers? Are they just more faithful?
I recently had an experience that caused me to reexamine some of my thoughts on this subject. In the past, I would answer these questions by placing the blame on the world: “They have no interest.” “They are too distracted with life.” “This is just a sign of the times.” But now, I am wondering if, maybe, I am the problem, or at least, is my approach to evangelism the problem?
Our podcast ministry held a Back-to-School Giveaway at a local community center. As the families, which totaled about 1,000 people, walked by, I told them about our podcast and that we wanted to answer any Bible questions they had. To engage them, I asked: “If you could ask God one question, what would it be?”
I was not ready for their responses/questions: How can God be dead and alive? Is God scared to come down here because He doesn’t want to see the mess He has made? Why does God hurt people the way He does? Are heaven and hell real? Can God give me my father back?
While fielding their questions, I was impressed with a very sobering thought. Some of the questions were simple, and some of them were deep. However, not one of the people I spoke with asked about the correct day of worship, the mark of the beast, or any prophecy question. These were real people with real questions, unprepared for the typical topics we preach about. We must first answer their questions before sharing the three angels’ messages with them. We must make the Bible and God relevant to their lives to take them deeper into the Word.
Could it be that a part of the answer to the question of why we don’t see as many American-born people joining the church is that we have a biblical literacy and relevance problem in this country?
Is my approach to evangelism/soul-winning part of the problem because I assume that people already have a basic understanding of God and the Bible when I preach evangelistic messages? Do I need to ensure that people know the Bible stories before I can draw deeper spiritual lessons from them? Have I made Jesus and His mission relevant to people and their present experiences, or do I focus on the future judgment and a God who is waiting to return?
It’s not about doing one over the other; it’s about doing both and meeting people where they are.
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Miguel Crespo is president of the New York Conference.
