Multiplication Ministries
Making a Worldwide Difference, One Church at a Time

AMERICA:  The New Mission Field
By Andy McAdams, President of Multiplication Ministries

 
American: “The land of the free and the home of the brave”.  The country that leads the rest of the world as a model for democracy, and a Christian nation that sends gospel missionaries around the world.   Or … is it?  I have no question about the first two parts of  this acclamation, but it’s the last one that is concerning to me of its accuracy. 

THE WAY WE WERE

Is American still the Christian country we claim it to be?  Is it what most of our founding fathers meant for it to be when they drafted the documents that stood for liberty as well as “freedom of religion?” 

The evidence of openness in America to proclaim the gospel remained for over 200 years.  It was important or early church planting evangelists to see that every community had a church.  Many of those churches were the homes of the first schools.  The pastor and his wife were often the first teachers and the Bible was the first text book. 

The gospel swept across America and the church was the focal point of each community.  Even when schools moved from churches to a pubic setting, “The Pledge of Allegiance” and prayer were part of every morning.  Believers called “missionaries” left the comfort of their home, country and church to take the “good news”, the “gospel”, across the seas. 

SOMETHING’S GONE WRONG

This is how it had been for over 200 years, until something went very wrong.  The church as we have seen it for two centuries changed.  Many of the small town American churches refused to make the needed changes, while highways improved and driving outside of town for worship became an easy option.  Churches became regional worship centers serving a number of small towns with newer facilities, larger youth and children’s programs, up to date style of worship and other activities that met the needs of families entering the 3^rd millennium.  

There are a number of downsides.  First, and most obvious, is the beautiful little churches in small town America began to fight to stay open and many stand empty and boarded up.  Pastors began working part time, and funds became an issue just to make it from month to month.  Secondly, as families attended larger churches, there was less need for those that once served actively, so many became observers and often lost their importance of being needed.

But a lot more has happened in the past 35 years.  Somehow in much of the American churches, both small and large, community and regional, attendees became saturated with the gospel.

FOLLOW THE LEADER?

Everyone knows that when you’re not sure how to do something, you look to the leader as an example.  That’s true in churches as well as anywhere else.  But what happens when the so-called “biggest and best” has the same problems that you do?  In his book, “Resurrecting the Church”, Frank Fears said, “Our ranks are swollen with non-believers unable to articulate a salvation testimony, or even a grasp of the biblical plan of salvation. Most of our churches, if not completely dead, are paralyzed. This is the result of walking by sight, and consistently operating in the flesh. It is time to return the church to her rightful owner. It is time to repent and slaughter the sacred cows of political correctness, passivity, and “don’t ask–don’t tell Christianity”. What the Lord said of the church at Sardis, is completely true of a majority of our churches today. They have a reputation of being alive, but are actually dead.” 

Let me add to Frank’s thought.  The reason churches are dead is because a large percentage of those sitting in the pews are spiritually dead church goers. 

Frank continues, “Those of us who were born before 1950, received as our birthright, citizenship in a Christian nation. This is now post-Christian America. It was lost on our watch.  Only 40% of the largest evangelical denomination (Southern Baptist Convention) that are on the rolls are in attendance on any given Sunday.”

Dr. Thom Rainer published a survey which had asked some elementary questions of some of those 40% of the SBC membership actually attending SBC churches. His assessment of the study was that this representative sampling strongly indicated that nearly half of its membership may be lost, not grasping the true meaning of “the gospel”.  Such a poll of the “non-attending” 60% of the SBC membership would almost certainly be ever more depressing.

If this is true of the largest protestant evangelical denomination in America, it has to be true elsewhere.

IS AMERICA SATURATED WITH THE GOSPEL?

A little over 10 years ago, George Barna dealt with this very question in his valuable book, “Evangelism That Works”.   What he points out is staggering.  For at least three decades prior to the year 2000, a number of Christian ministries resolved that they would not rest until the entire United States was saturated with the gospel.

In the year 1990 there were a number of efforts to reach every home for Christ.  Hardly a week would go by without finding Billy Graham on TV and networks such as Trinity Broadcasting on the air daily, all day.  In fact, more than $200 million was spent every year on evangelistic ministries airtime and $100 million spent on radio time aimed at unbelievers. 

There were citywide campaigns to distribute full length Christian films to each home in every community in the United States while other organizations committed themselves to getting as much gospel literature into the hands of every adult in targeted areas through mailings or phone calls.  Among church planters the theory was to start 40,000 churches in 10 years as they believed that new churches would be a more effective way of reaching new people that might have had negative experiences at long established churches.  (The goal was never reached and in fact fell way short).

Over a 10 year period of time over 5,000 independent organizations with the purpose of evangelism was registered with the IRS.  It was reported that over 100 million tracts and Bibles were distributed by high school ministries, rescue missions and door to door efforts.  In addition, the revenues from Christian books and music exceeded $1 billion every year.  As much as 10% of that total was associated with products that were purely evangelistic.

UNEXPECTED RESULTS

When saying that American ministries saturated the country with the gospel, it appears as though things didn’t turn out as planned.  It was saturated alright, but not in a good way.  Everyone has witnessed what happens in severe rains when the ground becomes so saturated with water that it simply runs off without doing any good.  That’s what seems to have happened between 1990 and 2000.  

Barna tells us that, “We have learned that being exposed to information does not mean that people absorb it, understand it or embrace it.”

For instance, it may be hard for you to believe that 9 out of 10 Americans cannot accurately define the meaning of the Great Commission.  Plus, 7 out of 10 American adults have no clue what “John 3:16” means and only 1/3 knows the meaning of the expression “the gospel”.  Hard to believe, I know.  But true.

As a nation founded on Christian principles, settled by people that sought religious freedom, and in a nation where church attendance is comparatively high and the Bible remains the best-selling book of all time, you would expect a pivotal term such as “the gospel” to have a near universal recognition.

Interestingly enough, these same Americans are capable of naming the top-rated television shows, name characters in the latest blockbuster movie, and correctly recall a number of advertising slogans for popular products. 

Then, how is it possible that 88% of Americans label themselves as Christians?

IMMUNE TO THE GOSPEL?

George Barna sadly mentioned, “One of the rudest awakenings I have ever had in my efforts to help churches grow was the discovery born from our research a few years ago is that half of all adults who attend Protestant churches on a typical Sunday morning are not truly Christian”. 

It appears that the only explanation to someone who has not truly been transformed by the gospel of grace, despite weekly church attendance, is that rather than churches today introducing people to Christ, they are instead anesthetized to the gospel. 

People have heard a message, from nursery on, that somehow didn’t sink in.  Perhaps as mentioned before, it was assumed that being a Christian is simply a birthright.  It has been heard so many times that it ran like water off a duck’s back.

Pastors … don’t let this happen. 

AMERICA A MISSION FIELD?

In my early years of biblical training I attended a missionary training school.  My wife and I had South America in our sights because there were tribal people that needed to “hear the gospel”.  To hear “that Christ died, was buried and rose again not only for mankind, but for each and every one of us to deal with this truth personally”.

Part of our reasoning for heading to another country was that there were more than 2,000 tribes that had never heard God’s Word, nor have one word of God’s Word in their own language.  After all, there are churches on almost every street corner in America and virtually no witness of grace overseas.  Our reasoning was that America already had the gospel and there were other countries in need of it. 

That’s still true, but things at home have changed.

America has had the gospel, but somehow this past generation has missed the truth of it.  Each of us that has the responsibility of opening the Word Sunday after Sunday, and we must never assume, that even in the smallest of churches, that our audience are all born again, life transformed believers that have truly understood and embraced the true meaning of the GOSPEL OF GRACE.

SO NOW WHAT?

So if these things are true, what do we as church leaders do about it?

Frank Fears suggests that a church allows for numerous creative opportunities for members of our church to testify of their faith.  It can be done through membership classes, small group meetings, videos of people giving their testimony rather than in person.  Listen closely.  If the gospel isn’t clear coming out of their mouth, it probably isn’t clear in their hearts either.

Watch for life change in people, even those that have been in the church for years.  Grace truly transforms and if people don’t seemed changed over periods of time, chances are they do not know the one that changes us.  In other words, “look for the fruit of the Spirit”.  No fruit means no growth.  No growth could mean the tree is sick never planted on firm ground.

Finally, stop thinking that you can do it all from the pulpit.  Even the best of preachers can’t communicate to every heart.  Implement one-to-one training of the basics of the faith, especially the meaning of the gospel and assurance of salvation.  People learn best one to one and Paul admonished Timothy, not only to preach sound doctrine, but to train those that will train others also. 2 Timothy 2:2  It is far easier to help someone confirm their eternal position with God when it done by meeting with one person.

Allow me to sum it up with words from a pastors in an email I received today.

We did week #1 last night of your discipleship material, (Assurance of Salvation) and it went great.  The new believer I’m discipling commented that although he’s read the bible before, for some reason he’s now understanding it like he had never before.  I had the privilege of taking him to 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 and explaining that he was now perceiving things in God’s
Word by His Spirit which cannot be received by “natural man”.

Your materials are a blessing.

Blessings! Jim

Welcome to the informational and interactive side of Multiplication Ministries. 

There is nothing fancy about our blog with all the whistles and bells and spinning graphics.  It’s this simple…This blog is dedicated to sharing articles and news that will strengthen the church, make disciples and encourage pastors, church leaders and members alike. 

Our ministry is committed to being available to churches and their leaders worldwide for the purpose of assisting them in fulfilling

Pastor Andy McAdams

 The Great Commission.

As a pastor for over 30 years, I love sharing from the knowledge, training and experience that God has allowed me to gain.  Myself and a number of our staff are available to serve your church anywhere you may be, no matter what size your church is…and we’re only an email or phone call away.

 Pastor Andy

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