The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Evangelism

I believe that one thing that stands out the most when one enters a reformed church for the first time, as I did myself not so long ago, is the focus that is placed on Missions. I was delighted to experience that awareness presented every Sunday on missions and missionaries. I was also very delighted to see that apart of the churches ministry was the fact that the church leaders are taking the job of Christian education seriously for the training and preparing anyone who felt lead to enter into the missionary field. I thought to myself.... "Wow! They actually expect people to consider entering into the mission field." They actually take foreign missions very seriously!" This is awesome. I came from a church that put absolutely no importance on missions.

But with saying that, I do not see allot of importance placed on local evangelism. There is no ministry that I see in the local reformed churches around where I live that are "taking it to the streets." But I do see that at some of the bigger reformed churches around the country that there are ministries that focus on this type of evangelism. So I do not think that this should be a matter of concern.... BECAUSE..... guess what? I don't see that sort of ministry happing in other churches in my local area either, Episcopal, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic etc... I do go and attend and read literature from other churches periodically. This helps me to be a better church leader. I don't see allot of evangelizing going on in any of the smaller denominational churches.

I believe there is a reason for this. The "Evangelizing" that is being done is from the pulpit. This is where the Word and sacraments are being given. I believe it is our responsibility as laymen to be a strong witness and encourage people to attend church. This is one way we can evangelize and bring people to Christ. Although, If someone asks you about your faith, I believe that you ought to be prepared to share the gospel.

There were some example though given by Phil Johnson.... R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper. Well.... come on, these examples are all pretty HUGE ministries. If you don't consider these ministries making a huge impact for the reformed faith, think again. I can say with assurance that it is because if R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries that the reformed faith is being taught and shared in the PCUSA church that I used to attend. I believe that MacArthur's ministry is making a big impact in the baptist community.

But I would just like to add a few more reformed names here to the list that I believe are also making an impact for reformed evangelism.

Jerry Bridges is an author and Bible teacher. His most popular title, The Pursuit of Holiness, has sold over one million copies. He has authored several other books including The Discipline of Grace and Trusting God. As a full-time staff member with The Navigators for many years, Bridges is currently a part of the Navigator collegiate ministry group where he is involved in staff training and serves as a resource to campus ministries. For 15 years he was the vice president for corporate affairs for The Navigators. He also speaks at numerous conferences both in the U.S. and overseas. He and his wife Jane, live in Colorado Springs, CO.

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson serves as a Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary's Dallas, Texas campus. Dr. Ferguson has been a Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology with Westminster for many years and serves as an editor with the Banner of Truth Trust. In addition, he previously served as a full time professor at the Philadelphia campus until taking a call to St. George’s Tron Church in Glasgow, Scotland in 1998. He studied at the University of Aberdeen for his M.A., B.D., and Ph.D. degrees, was ordained in the Church of Scotland in 1971, and served in pastoral ministry in Scotland from 1971-1982.

Dr. James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, AZ. He is a professor, teaching Greek, Hebrew, and apologetics. He has authored more than a dozen books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter's Freedom, and The God Who Justifies. He is an accomplished debater, having engaged leading proponents of Roman Catholicism, Islam, and Mormonism in moderated, public debates. White is also an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. He has been married to Kelli for twenty years, and has two children, Joshua and Summer.

The Reverend Dr. Philip Graham Ryken is the senior minister at Philadelphia's historic Tenth Presbyterian Church. He joined Tenth Presbyterian in 1995 and assumed the senior minister position in 2000. Dr. Ryken was educated at Wheaton College, Westminster Theological Seminary and the University of Oxford, from which he received his doctorate in historical theology. Dr. Ryken also serves on Board of Visitors of Wheaton College, and as Council Member with the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He has written over one dozen books including some which he co-authored with James Montgomery Boice.

The Rev. Dr. Michael S. Horton is Professor of Apologetics and Theology at Westminster Seminary California. He is also the editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine and the main host of The White Horse Inn radio broadcast. He received his M.A. from Westminster Seminary California, his Ph.D. from Wycliff Hall, Oxford and the University of Coventry, and also completed a Research Fellowship at Yale University Divinity School.

G. I. Williamson received the B.D. degree from Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary. He has served congregations of the old United Presbyterian Church of North America, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, but most of his ministerial labors have been with the Reformed Churches of New Zealand and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church—in which he continues to serve. He is author of popular study guides to the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism, and is presently editor of Ordained Servant, a journal for elders and deacons.

These are just some of the names that I pulled up within a couple of minutes that have been very active supporting and spreading the reformed faith and evangelizing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Y.B.I.C,

Dave