TWO-PART CONVERSION

Church of England Archbishop and theologian William Temple defines evangelism: “To evangelize is so to present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit that men come to put their faith in God through him, to accept him as their Saviour and to serve him as their King in the fellowship of his Church.”

Temple’s understanding of evangelism includes not only a commitment to Christ, but a commitment to Christ’s church. Certainly, the Apostle Paul had the same expectation. He pulled converts together to form ecclesias or fellowships. He then appointed qualified elders and overseers and advised Timothy to do the same (1 Timothy 3).