The "Work" of an Evangelist!

Recently I was asked, 'How is the evangelism racket doing?" I do not believe for a moment that the person asking was serious, but I must say the question stung me very deeply. I simply answered, "If I was in it for the money, I would be looking for a paying job." "However, God has always met my needs."

As a Pastor, I always fell it my own personal responsibility to see to it that the evangelist was taken care of After all, we asked him or his evangelistic team to come and minister to our needs as a church. As a pastor, I sought to lead the people to really meet the needs of our evangelist and more. Many evangelists looked forward to being with us because there was no concern about them being taken care of This would free them up to preach without any pressure. Often I said that we would have no evangelist that set a financial demand upon the church in our pulpit, and we never did. But that did not mean that I felt they were not worthy of a sufficient offering. God's Word says we are to plan proper supply for His servants. (LUKE 10:7). If that means taking offerings for six months before they arrive, then so be it. When we were planting Beacon Baptist Church in Myrtle Beach, and struggling in the process, some evangelists that we had in would send money back that they felt was in excess of their expectations. What a refreshing breeze that was to us.

I personally feel that many evangelists have gone back into the pastorate because of the lack of understanding the church has regarding their responsibility to assist them in every way they can. Many Pastors are very responsive to we who are in evangelism, while others take us for granted by assuming that since we are traveling in a decent car, have clean and pressed clothes they they have no responsibility to meet ministry needs. The true man of faith is a man in evangelism. Why, you may ask? Well, he normally has no income except from the meetings he has from week to week. He never knows what the income (offering) will be.

The cost of travel is often not considered above the "love offering". It is assumed that all will be well if the church simply makes a stab at giving him an offering.

Dear Pastor, the next time you plan to have an evangelist in, why not consider his needs and see if in the process that God will more than meet yours as well. I am not writing this for my sake, but for the sake of the ministry that God has called me to. I have the highest regard for the ministry. It is not only my "calling", but my "choice" as well.

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. " 1 Timothy 5:17