Sammy Gilbreath said he’s been told by more than a few people that evangelism conferences just don’t work anymore. “But would you look around?” he said Feb. 25 to a packed house at First Baptist Church, Montgomery. “I’m glad God’s people are excited about sharing the gospel. I’m glad tonight to be a part of something that ‘doesn’t work.’”
This year’s Alabama Baptist State Evangelism Conference, held Feb. 25–26 at First, Montgomery, drew at least 1,500 people to experience “a sweet spirit” and hear a “wide variety of preaching styles,” said Gilbreath, director of the office of evangelism for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
“Every year is different; it takes on the personality of the speakers and the music,” he said. “I hope we can continue to do that, because it reflects Alabama Baptists — we are a very diverse group.”
The 12 speakers were interspersed between music ranging from southern gospel trio Paid in Full to contemporary soloist Luke Garrett to congregational hymns led by Chip Colee, minister of music for First, Montgomery.
“We also included music from church choirs to give the flavor of the local churches and involve more laypeople,” Gilbreath said. “This conference was never meant to be for pastors only. We want everyone involved so we can keep on trying to reach Alabama for Christ.”
To further that mission, a wide variety of informative classes — called the Great Commission Ministries Track — ran simultaneously with the preaching services.
The conference’s theme was When Your Well Runs Dry, Come and Drink, emphasizing the need for renewal for tired pastors and church leaders.
“One of the reasons that so many of our people are doing less and less is because they’re just flat-out worn-out,” Don Wilton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, S.C., told the congregation during the Tuesday evening rally.
Wilton said he has also felt that way about evangelism at times. “The longer I’m in my church, the more it’s jolly well getting harder and harder to get out there (and witness), and I’m getting worn-out by it.”
Sharing the gospel is tiring because it is at the very least increasingly unpopular, Wilton said, and it doesn’t always get the numbers we translate as success.
“I ask you, friends — is it really worth it? Is it worth getting worn-out? Is it worth being voted out? Is it worth starving to death?”
The apostle Paul said it’s worth it because he understood how God measured success and he knew the strength to carry on comes from God, Wilton said.
“It’s becoming increasingly unpopular … to preach the unapologetic Word of God,” he said. “It’s also becoming rare to actually have a practical invitation at the end of the message because people are more and more demanding.”
God insists on giving the invitation to people so that all people may come to know Christ as Savior, Wilton said. “I fear for the coffee approach to New Testament evangelism. I fear for the soft-soap sermonettes that produce Christianettes in our churches,” he said. “Is there somebody in Alabama who’s going to step forward and say, ‘I’ll do it for you, Lord — I’ll do it’?”
Christians today are also being lulled to sleep slowly, said Ergun Caner, president of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in Lynchburg, Va.
“They tell us what we need to do is mess with our methods, that if we slowly, gently shift, we’ll find ourselves more relevant,” said Caner, who headlined the Monday evening rally. “But the further we get away from God touching the land, we don’t need subtlety.”
Today’s society has “fixes” for “a culture going to hell in a handbasket,” he said. “I don’t think we need what they’re selling. I don’t think we need religion or reformation. I think it’s time for a revolution.”
Caner said instead of helping people’s feelings, preachers should proclaim and provoke. “Why do we let people shut us down? Are we scared people will blog about us?” he asked. “Preach without fear. Preach without reservation.”
And demand to be heard, he said. “Preach it hot and don’t fear the consequence. You are untouchable until the will of God in your life is over.”
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