Who Are the Evangelicals?

By Editor Bob Terry

“Evangelical” is a popular word these days. When people are asked to self-identify their religious preferences as many as 40 percent of Americans claim to be evangelicals. The National Association of Evangelicals (NEA) places the number of evangelicals in the United States at about 32 percent of all Americans.

The George Barna Research group in California scoffs at such claims. Barna says only about 9 percent of Americans are evangelical.

Part of the difference between the various conclusions is in the definitions used by various groups. NEA and LifeWay Christian Resources use a four-step process in their research to determine if one is an evangelical. To fit in that category, one must strongly agree with the following statements:

In agreement

1. The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.

2. It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.

3. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.

4. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.

Barna’s criteria

Barna is more restrictive, using a nine-step criteria. For Barna, an evangelical is one who:

•Has made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ,

•Believes that when they die they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior,

•Maintains their faith is very important in their life today,

Personal responsibility

•Believes they have a personal responsibility to share beliefs about Christ with non-Christians,

•Believes Satan exists,

•Believes eternal salvation is possible only through grace and not works,

•Believes Jesus Christ lived a sinless life,

•Believes the Bible is accurate in all it teaches and

•Describes God as the all-knowing, all-
powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.

Different definitions

Differences in definitions can be important. Because its definition is more restrictive, Barna recently argued that President-elect Donald Trump actually received a smaller percentage of evangelical votes than did Mitt Romney in 2012. Barna contends that Trump received 79 percent of white evangelical votes and Romney received 81 percent.

Barna argues that exit polls which found Trump doing better than Romney among white evangelicals relied on voter self-identification which resulted in inaccurate information.

‘Good news’

The term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word “euangelion” which means “good news” or “gospel.” That is why the evangelical faith focuses primarily on the good news of salvation made available to all sinners by Jesus Christ.

NEA says, “Evangelicals are a vibrant and diverse group including believers found in many churches, denominations and nations. Our community brings together Reformed, Holiness, Anabaptists, Pentecostals, Charismatic and other traditions.”

Theological convictions

Evangelicals are defined by theological convictions — not political, social or cultural trends. One historian explained those theological commitments as:

4The belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a lifelong process of following Jesus.

4The expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts.

4A high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority.

4A stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross making possible the redemption of humanity.

As NEA contends, Christian believers from many traditions hold these basic beliefs while disagreeing about other important theological issues. Obviously there are differences between those of the Reformed tradition and the Anabaptist tradition, between the Methodist tradition and the Holiness tradition. Yet all can embrace the theological beliefs forming the core of evangelicalism.

Differences within denominations

And while some believers from these traditions may be evangelicals that does not mean everyone from that denomination is an evangelical. Differences exist within denominations just as they do between denominations.

Beginning with this week’s issue and for the next seven weeks The Alabama Baptist will feature a series of articles designed to address the question “Who are the evangelicals?” Kenneth B.E. Roxburgh, professor of religion at Samford University in Birmingham, will examine the historical background of those denominations most often considered evangelical.

About the writer

Roxburgh, a frequent contributor to The Alabama Baptist, holds degrees from the London School of Theology, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, both in Scotland. He was president of Scottish Baptist College in Glasgow, Scotland, before coming to Samford.

The articles will provide insights into Christian denominations rooted in the theological commitments of evangelicalism.

The articles reflect the beginnings of the various groups but do not consider all that has happened in the different bodies since their founding.

Sense of appreciation

Hopefully the series will help readers develop a sense of appreciation for those who, like Baptists, embrace and are described by the word “evangelical.” The articles may demonstrate that while significant differences exist between various religious bodies, many share core commitments to the doctrines that make them evangelical.

Be sure to read the first article in this series on pages 4–5 of this issue and look for “Who are the evangelicals?” each week through the Feb. 23 issue.