“Elect Jesus,” an evangelism strategy its founder says resembles a political election campaign, has earned the “vote” of some personnel with the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
“I would like to commend it to any pastor or church interested in reaching people for Jesus,” said John Yarbrough, NAMB’s vice president for evangelism. He said the flexibility that “Elect Jesus” founder, Sam Hollis, pastor of First Baptist Church, Hayden, built into the materials makes the strategy adaptable.
Strategy for many areas
“‘Elect Jesus’ will fit for a lot of areas. It can be used as a revival strategy for an individual church, simultaneous revival strategy for an association, or a crusade strategy for a city or region,” Yarbrough said.
Hollis’ church is currently using the strategy as an evangelism event with an “Elect Jesus” campaign Oct. 31–Nov. 3. Meeting Sunday morning at 8:45 and 11 and Monday through Wednesday at 7 p.m., the services will feature special campaign music, an outreach emphasis and speaker Toby Frost, NAMB’s director of event evangelism.
Yarbrough said although the “Elect Jesus” does not endorse any political candidate, the theme has relevance when elections occur.
Although neither NAMB nor SBOM officially endorse the “Elect Jesus” campaign or have money or labor invested in it, they laud the independent venture and its value as a ministry tool of the church.
“This evangelistic effort is a productive way to reach people who are hungry to know Christ as their Savior and Lord,” said Rick Lance, SBOM executive director.
“Elect Jesus” uses the Roman Road method of presenting the salvation plan while packaged in an election campaign format, Hollis said.
That format gives the campaign relevance and practicality, noted Sammy Gilbreath, SBOM director of evangelism. “The ‘Elect Jesus’ evangelistic campaign is an excellent way for a local church to focus on its Acts 1:8 responsibility to share Jesus with the world beginning with its local community,” he said. “It’s a good eye-catching kind of thing.”
Unlike a political campaign, which ends when the candidates are elected, “Elect Jesus” goes on, Gilbreath explained. “The campaign presents evangelism as an ongoing process, not a single event, but a process to be continued until Jesus comes again,” he said.
Witness with fervor
Hollis, a Samford University graduate and pastor of Baptist churches in north and central Alabama for 41 years, explained why he settled on the campaign idea.
“If those who labor in the political arena do so with great fervency and sacrifice to urge every possible voter to choose their candidate, why should not Christians with even greater fervency and sacrifice encourage every person to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord?” he said.
“Elect Jesus” exists under Great Commission International Ministries, a nonprofit organization begun by Hollis.
Materials available with the strategy include T-shirts, caps, posters, banners, brochures and how-to information.
For more information, visit www.electJesus.org.
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