In recent years, the subject of altar calls has been sometimes hotly debated among Southern Baptists. If you don’t know the term, altar calls are a form of public invitation wherein attendees are urged to walk to the front of a worship center or other gathering place to discuss spiritual matters, normally near the conclusion of a worship service. Evangelists such as Billy Graham give altar calls at the conclusion of their evangelistic meetings. In many churches, pastors invite attendees to the front to seek counsel related to conversion, to express a desire to be baptized and/or join the church, and to discuss any number of other spiritual matters. Many churches also invite folks to pray at the front of the worship center, even if they do not discuss these prayers with a pastor or other spiritual counselor.

Altar calls have been common among American evangelicals for about two hundred years. During the Second Great Awakening, frontier Methodists first used this practice in their camp meetings. Some Baptists in the South also adopted the practice, which they almost certainly learned from the Methodists, since these two groups frequently cooperated in camp meetings in the Carolinas and Georgia through the 1810s. In the 1820s and 1830s, Charles Finney popularized the view among Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists in the urban Northeast. Though he was accused of introducing “Methodist” practices among these more Calvinistic churches, altar calls (along with his other “new measures”) became popular among many evangelicals.

Though it is impossible to determine with certainty when altar calls became a part of the weekly liturgy of most Southern Baptist churches, the practice was common after the Civil War and nearly uniform by the early twentieth century. This more or less coincides with the same period that Southern Baptists almost universally embraced “protracted meetings” (revival meetings) as a means to evangelize their communities. Though I can’t prove it, I suspect the two trends are related, since both reflect practices that emerged during the Second Great Awakening.

Back to the present. In my opinion, the debate about altar calls is “much ado about nothing.” I put altar calls in the category of what Augustine calls adiaphora: the “indifferent matters” that various Christians might disagree about without breaking fellowship. Simply put, altar calls are a particular strategy, born out of a particular context, that may or may not work in other contexts. Though open to various abuses (what strategy isn’t?), I don’t believe altar calls are inherently anti-biblical or manipulative. Though helpful in some contexts, altar calls aren’t biblically mandated means of encouraging spiritual decisions. As a mostly itinerant preacher, when I preach, I adapt my practice to the tradition of the church or other context in which I’m preaching. I would estimate that I extend an altar call about 75% of the time.

In taking this approach, I’m deliberately pushing back against two tendencies that I think are extremes and that frequently shoot at each other in this particular debate. On the one hand, I reject the argument that altar calls are (almost) always inappropriate. Some folks who make this argument are Calvinists who believe the practice is out-of-bounds because of its roots in the more Arminian wing of the Second Great Awakening. Other Calvinists reject altar calls because of their particular understanding of the regulative principle of worship; since altar calls aren’t in the Bible, we shouldn’t employ them today. Still others, from a variety of soteriological perspectives, reject altar calls for methodological reasons. Altar calls are seen to be relics of a bygone era of revivalism and cultural Christianity that simply do not work in a more postmodern, urban, post-Christian world.

On the other hand, I reject the view that altar calls are (almost) always necessary for one to be an evangelistic preacher or church. Some folks who make this argument are vocal non-Calvinists who are reacting negatively to the theological critiques that some Calvinists have advanced concerning altar calls. Others are simply pastors and other leaders who have found that altar calls useful in their contexts and seem to have a hard time understanding that the strategy might not work in other contexts. I suspect that still others defend altar calls for experiential reasons; they have expressed their own significant spiritual decisions in part by responding to altar calls.

I suspect that much of the debate isn’t about altar calls per se, but rather is about concerns each extreme has about the other extreme. Therefore, I want to offer some constructive advice to those who are strongly for or strongly against altar calls.

If you are strongly in favor of altar calls, be sure that you don’t require altar calls for individuals to seek spiritual counsel. To say it a different way, make sure that altar calls are but one avenue through which an individual can seek counsel, make spiritual decisions known, etc. Second, when it comes to conversion in particular, make sure that the altar call doesn’t replace baptism as the public profession of faith. This elevates the altar call, which is simply a human strategy, and downplays baptism, which is an ordinance commanded by our Lord. Finally, don’t turn altar calls into a sacrament by implying that one is saved through walking an aisle. I know that no pastor really teaches this, but I also know that many folks seem to hear this. (I did throughout my teenage years.) Pastors need to be extra careful to be as clear as possible that an altar call doesn’t convey any sort of grace, but is simply a way to encourage folks to share what the Lord has already done in their lives or to seek spiritual counsel from pastors or other leaders.

If you are strongly against altar calls, be sure that you are being intentionally evangelistic in your corporate worship gatherings. Press the claims of Christ upon sinners and plead with them to repent and believe—in that very moment. Provide them with avenues to make spiritual decisions known or to seek spiritual counsel. In my church, where we don’t regularly extend altar calls, we always remind folks that elders are standing at each door and are eager to talk and pray with anyone who desires to do so. Much of what happens in other churches during an altar call happens in our church after the service as individuals talk to a pastor about spiritual matters. Second, don’t assume that just because altar calls were popularized by folks with theological convictions that Southern Baptists reject (Methodists; Finney) means that altar calls are, by definition, theologically suspect. There are good and bad forms of altar calls; give your brothers the benefit of the doubt on this unless you have clear evidence that someone is being manipulative.

There is much in the Southern Baptist Convention that is worthy of debate and discussion, provided we are Christ-like and extend brotherly love towards one another. But I don’t think this issue is worthy of too much debate (discussion, perhaps). Let’s extend each other Christian charity in methodological strategies that don’t conflict with biblical teachings, since churches are free to adopt these strategies or dispense with them. This includes the altar call. For readers who want to consider appropriate ways to extend an altar call, check out Danny Akin’s chapter “Giving an Invitation: Soul Winning from the Pulpit” in Engaging Exposition (B&H Academic, 2011).

(Image Credit)

I don’t read very many books more than once. One book that I’ve read several times in the past few years is Don Carson’s The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from 1 Corinthians, 2^nd ed. (Baker, 2004). I recently had cause to read Carson’s fine book once again, this time with a Southeastern student and fellow First Baptist Durham member whom I’m discipling. The final chapter, an exposition of 1 Corinthians 9:19–27, is titled “The Cross and the World Christian.” In that chapter, Carson provides an excellent short summary of what it means to be world Christians:

Their allegiance to Jesus Christ and his kingdom is self-consciously set above all national, cultural, linguistic, and racial allegiances.
Their commitment to the church, Jesus’ messianic community, is to the church everywhere, wherever the church is truly manifest, and not only to its manifestation on home turf.
They see themselves first and foremost as citizens of the heavenly kingdom and therefore consider all other citizenship a secondary matter.
As a result, they are single-minded and sacrificial when it comes to the paramount mandate to evangelize and make disciples (p. 117).

I appreciate Carson’s summary, which very much resonates with what I hope to communicate in my teaching and preaching ministry (however imperfectly). It also fits nicely with our ethos at Southeastern Seminary, where our mission statement is “Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by equipping students to serve the Church and fulfill the Great Commission.” We want to be a “world seminary” equipping “world Christians” to make disciples of all peoples.

I think the only point I would add to Carson’s thoughts, and it’s a complementary one that I’m quite certain he’d affirm, is that being a world Christian begins by being covenantally united with a particular congregation, which is a local outpost of the one universal church that includes all Christians everywhere. Healthy local churches should be “world churches” that embody on a corporate level the priorities that Carson outlined above. It is through the local church that we learn to become and ultimately embrace all that it means to be a world Christian who lives, loves, and serves for the sake of the world that God so loves.

A great deal of ink has been spilled and Internet bandwidth expended over the controversy of whether or not it is appropriate to use “the sinner’s prayer” in evangelism (i.e., is it proper to tell someone to ask Jesus into his heart when leading him to Christ).  At the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans this last June, messengers overwhelmingly approved a resolution supporting its use.  I have to confess that I think the whole dispute is misguided.  In my opinion, what is driving the concern of many is the paltry results of much of our evangelistic efforts.  Whether it’s one-on-one soulwinning (through Evangelism Explosion, Continuing Witness Training, or FAITH) or mass evangelistic meetings (such as crusades, youth camps, or VBS) the outcome is too often the same.  Scores make “professions of faith” who afterward demonstrate little or no interest in Christ, the church, or the walk of faith.

The problem, however, is not with the use of any particular prayer.  Rather, I would contend, that the difficulty lies in the way we present salvation.  Most evangelistic methods present salvation as a commodity that Jesus purchased and now offers.  Christ is presented as having bought salvation by His death on the Cross, and if you ask Him then He will give it to you.  Salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are understood entirely as a purchase, a business deal, or a transaction.  Salvation is reduced to the offer of a “Get Out of Hell Free” card.

But one can do business with someone he really doesn’t care for.  In fact, one can receive a gift from someone he positively dislikes (just think of how much foreign aid has gone to countries that don’t like the USA).  Here’s the important point: salvation is not something Jesus gives; salvation is something He is.  One does not receive salvation from Jesus.  You and I receive Him–the Lord Jesus Christ–for Who He is, and in receiving Him we receive salvation, redemption, and eternal life.  We are not simply being offered a really great bargain; we are called to enter into a covenant relationship with Christ.

We affirm the penal substitution of Christ upon the Cross, and gladly use the language of “purchase,” “redemption,” and even “transaction.”  But to see salvation only in those terms runs the danger of viewing salvation merely as a commercial contract.  A saving relationship with Jesus Christ is more than just a contractual agreement–it’s a covenantal relationship.  Scripture describes a saving relationship with Christ in terms of marriage (Eph 5:23-27). Marriage is indeed a contract (as least, as far as the state is concerned), but it’s not merely that.  Who wants a relationship with his or her spouse that is entirely or only legal in nature? Marriage is a rich and effective metaphor for describing our salvation because it teaches us, that above all else, salvation is a proper relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and us.

I suspect that we tend to emphasize only the transactional aspects of redemption because such an objective understanding seemingly provides certainty.  Relationships, in contrast, are subjective by their very nature, and therefore more complicated, maybe even messy.  Yet you and I are called to be in vital union with Christ, and it is in this relationship we are saved.  “He who has the Son, has life.” – 1 John 5:12

So yes, when we are leading people to Christ we should encourage them to pray the sinner’s prayer.  Let’s just make sure we are leading them to Christ, and not just selling them on a really great deal.

This post is cross-posted at www.theologyforthechurch.com

This is from Tim Keller on how the gospel makes us both bold in presentation and winsome in spirit when sharing the gospel. The combination of both is a rare, but valuable and attainable, spiritual grace!

“When the gospel ‘comes home’-humbling and affirming you, it turns every believer into a natural evangelist…Evangelism happens because of a) the humility of the gospel. The gospel (unlike religious moralism) produces people who are not disdainful and contemptuous towards those who disagree with them. Also, it happens through b) the affirmation of the gospel. Because of the reality and joy of Christ’s love, we are not as concerned what others think. The gospel brings a gentle boldness.”

“The gospel makes us neither self-confident nor self-disdaining, but both bold and humble at once. To the degree I am still functionally earning my worth through performance (i.e. to the degree I am still functioning in works-righteousness), to that degree I will be either operating out of superiority or inferiority. Why! Because if I am saved by my works, then I can either be confident but not humble (if I am living up) or humble but not confident (if I am not living up). In other words, apart from the gospel, I will be forced to be superior or inferior or to swing back and forth or to be one way with some people and another way with others. I am continually caught between these two ways, because of the nature of my self image.

So the gospel humbles me before anyone, telling me I am a sinner saved only by grace. But it also emboldens me before anyone, telling me I am loved and honored by the only eyes in the universe that really count. So the gospel gives a boldness and a humility that do not “eat each other up” but can increase together.” 

For more on this, see my recently released Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary.

Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls” (NASB). I’ve been meditating a lot on this verse in recent weeks. I want to be more of a soul winner, praying that the Lord regularly works through me to help bring sinners to saving faith in Christ. I want to be more intentional about sharing the gospel, especially in the urban neighborhood where my local church gathers. I want to be an evangelistic role model to my wife, children, students, and congregation. I bet many of you share a similar burden to be more faithful in evangelism.

Professor and pastor that I am, I’ve also been reflecting quite a bit on evangelism books. I’ve just started reading Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel (IVP, 2010), written by Mack Stiles. I’m enjoying it so far. In the past four or five years, I’ve been blessed by several other helpful evangelism books by authors such as my SEBTS colleagues Alvin Reid and Wayne McDill, as well as works by Mark Dever and D.A. Carson. During my student days, I was influenced by the works of Will Metzger, Paul Little, Bill Hybels, and Will McRaney. There are many things I like about each of these books. I’d commend all of them to you.

I have to confess that there are some important or widely acclaimed evangelism books that I’ve never read. For example, I’ve only read bits and pieces of L.R. Scarborough’s With Christ After the Lost, which is a Southern Baptist classic. I’ve never read Charles Spurgeon’s The Soul Winner. Ditto with J.I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, Robert Coleman’s The Master Plan of Evangelism, and Rebecca Manley Pippert’s Out of the Saltshaker and Into the World. Lots of my friends really like Randy Newman’s Questioning Evangelism, though I’ve not gotten around to reading it yet.

I’d love to know what evangelism books you’ve found helpful. What did you like about them? If you could recommend one evangelism book to be read by virtually any believer, which one would it be? Please join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

There are three types of people in our country. There are, first of all, those who are able to read but do not read books. An AP-Ipsos poll recently revealed that 25% of Americans do not read books, while other polls have put the number higher, at around 50%. It is not that these Americans cannot read or that they do not accumulate knowledge. (No country’s citizens-and I mean none-bring more gravitas and enthusiasm to subjects such as celebrity clothes, hair and makeup, and the intricacies of the Pitt-Jolie marriage, than the citizens of the USA.) It is just that their knowledge is not gained from books. Second, there are those who read but do so aimlessly, choosing on a whim what to read and when to do so. Third, there are those who plan to read and who read with a plan.

For any of the three types of folks above, a good book might be the perfect gift. For those in category one, why not introduce them to the joys of reading? For those in category two, why not help them read with a plan? And for those in category three, why not feed their addiction? With this in mind, I’m offering a short list of books to buy for Christmas, in case any of you need something to stimulate your thinking. Because the list will be short, I’ll have to leave out more than a few good gift ideas. Please leave a comment telling us the one or two best gift ideas that I left off the list.

Introducing a Friend to Christ

C. S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity is a powerful little 20th-century classic treatment of the Christian faith. Lewis writes in a lucid and compelling manner that will hold the attention of any person who is reasonably interested in the subject matter. Plus, Lewis’ street cred as a writer and scholar (Oxford and Cambridge) provides the book a measure of advance credibility.

Tim Keller’s Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters is an exploration of the things that we tend to trust as our functional saviors/gods (sex, money, and power), which are actually false saviors and gods. They cannot save. Only Christ can save.

John Stott’s Basic Christianity is a brief, well-written and concise introduction to, umm, basic Christianity. Stott writes the book for people who are “hostile to the church, but friendly to Jesus Christ.”

Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life is a #1 New York Times bestseller, having sold over 30 million copies. Publisher’s Weekly calls it “the bestselling nonfiction hardback book in history.” It is structured as a 40-day introduction to the Christian life. Warren asks the reader to read only one chapter per day in order to “have time to think about the implications for your life.”

Tim Keller’s The Reason for God is a 21st-century version of Lewis’ Mere Christianity. He demonstrates that even skeptics have beliefs and “faith,” then presents the basic Christian faith, answers skeptical questions, and does so in a manner that is compelling for 21st century inquirers and skeptics.

Introducing a Friend to the Bible

Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen’s The True Story of the Whole World. This slim little 170-page volume presents the Bible as a unified and coherent narrative that is the true story of the whole world. For a more in-depth treatment by the same authors, see The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story. The former book is best given to interested laypeople and undergrad students. The latter is a good gift for thoughtful undergrad and grad students. I find Bartholomew and Goheen’s narrative exposition to be a powerfully effective way of unfolding the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Scriptures.

Introducing a Friend to Theologically-Driven Devotional Reading

J. D. Greear’s Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary. This is the perfect book for Christians who need some theological and devotional “caffeine” and even more importantly, who need to rediscover the blazing center of the Christian life-the gospel. This book is maybe your best one-stop purchase for all of your believing friends.

John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life is like J.D.’s Gospel, in this respect: if you are looking for a Christmas book for a believer, then buy it. There’s no reason to hesitate. Life-changing book.

C. J. Mahaney’s Living the Cross-Centered Life is a concise little book that shows us how to center our day on the life-giving reality of the gospel, and how to avoid the life-sapping temptations of legalism, condemnation, and feelings-centered Christianity.

David Platt’s Radical is an unsettling book. Like Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life, it challenges the reader to be shaped more by Jesus’ call to discipleship than by the American dream. Be careful with this book-it is dangerous.

C. S. Lewis’ The Weight of Glory is a collection of sermons and essays by Lewis. I’ll admit I’ve read only one chapter in the book, but it is the sermon “The Weight of Glory” for which the book is named, and it is one of the most elegant and powerful essays I have ever read. IMHO, this is the single best essay/sermon/book that Lewis wrote. From it, we get his classic statement that “it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (26).

Introducing a Friend to Some Classic Christian Writings

C. S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces is a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, a tale of two princesses (one beautiful and one unattractive) and of the struggle between sacred and profane love. IMHO, this is his best work of fiction.

G. K. Chesterton’s Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man are two must-reads for young theologians. Chesterton was a British journalist (and armchair theologian and philosopher) who possessed a top-shelf mind and one of the sharpest wits of the past two centuries. Orthodoxy is a circuitious, witty, and ultimately compelling account of why he rejected his early agnosticism in favor of Christian orthodoxy. The Everlasting Man is Chesterton’s argument that the Incarnation is the key to unlocking world history. A smart and witty book.

Pascal’s Pensees. I recommend Peter’s Kreeft’s edited version of the Pensees, entitled Christianity for Modern Pagans. In the book, Pascal provides a brilliant and elegant argument for the Christian faith.

Concluding Thoughts

Determining what to read is more than a little important. Of the many books in any given library or bookstore, most can be left unread without any fear of intellectual or moral deprivation. Even (and sometimes especially) the bestsellers are not necessarily worth reading. For this reason, I’ve tried to help provide some helpful gift books for this Christmas. As I close out this blog installment, I want to mention a few reasons why you should consider buying books as Christmas gifts.

First, reading books sharpens the mind. For Christians, reading gives us the chance to interact in the world of ideas, giving theological critique of what you read. It is one way to practice thinking Christianly. If I am reading a work of fiction, I ask a series of questions: Who is the hero, and why does the writer want me to admire him? Who is the adversary in this story, and what does the author think is so bad about him? Does this story provide a note of redemption, and if so, in what is the redemption found? If I am reading a theological text, I critique it in light of the Scriptures and the best of the Great Tradition. If I am reading one of the great philosophers, I question his presuppositions and look into the logical coherence, empirical adequacy, and existential viability of his theories. Reading prepares us to think in a distinctively Christian manner.

Second, reading exercises the mind. It forces us to increase our skills of concentration, memory, and reasoning. It requires that we focus on, remember, and assess arguments, plots, themes, characters, facts, and figures. Reading improves vocabulary. Without reading regularly, I would have never known, inter alia, such susquapedalian words as “pervicacious” or “stultiloquence.” :) Further, reading makes us better writers. (Just think how much worse this blogpost would be if I didn’t read regularly.)

Third, reading gives one something about which to converse. If I have read Ghost Wars, I can make a meaningful contribution when conversation turns to Afghanistan. If I have read The World is Flat or The Clash of Civilizations, then I can make conversation with about any number of global issues. If I have read Mere Christianity, I have some idea how to make theological conversation with a skeptic. If I read Wildlife in the Kingdom Come, I will be well-equipped to poke fun at theologians.

Fourth, reading allows one to “travel” to other times and places. Although I might not have the time or money to travel to Iran right now, I can read about it in The Ayatollah Begs to Differ or The Shia Revival. I may never be able to interview Abraham Lincoln or Jonathan Edwards, but I can read their biographies. Although I was never able to converse with one of the famous atheists, I am able to read Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil and Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian.

Fifth, reading reduces stress. Researchers at the University of Sussex have shown that the best way to relieve mental and physical stress is to read a book. In their study (which Al Mohler pointed out in his blog on 4/3/09), reading caused a 68% reduction in measurable stress, topping other stress reducers, such as listening to music (61%), sipping tea or coffee (54%), and taking a walk (42%).

Sixth, reading is an inexpensive and low maintenance form of entertainment. Compared to the cinema, for example, books don’t cost much. Most books cost $10-$30, which is approximately the same as 1-3 movie tickets, and give more pleasure over a longer period of time. Library books do not cost a dime. Imagine the money I can save if I can one day get my baby daughter hooked on reading (and convince her not to marry).

Finally, reading is an inherently humane and theological activity. The Triune God created through the Word and speaks through the Word. Indeed, the Trinity is a model of accomplished communication, as God the Father speaks, God the Son is the Word, and God the Spirit enables and illumines the reception of the Word. Further, God created us in his image and likeness, with part of that likeness being our rational and imaginative capacities, which are precisely the capacities needed to read. May we use our capacities in a manner that glorifies Him.

John R. Rice was, arguably, the leading voice of Fundamentalism in the 20th century. At its peak in the early 1970′s, his weekly paper, The Sword of the Lord, boasted a circulation of over 130,000. Back in those days, as a young Southern Baptist disturbed by the direction of the Convention, I read the Sword faithfully. Articles such as “Southern Baptists–Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing,” “Death in the Pot at Furman University,” and “Liberalism at Southern Seminary Exposed” convinced me and others similarly concerned that something had to be done. For the last couple of years Joy Martin, one of Rice’s six daughters, has entrusted the Library at Southeastern with the task of being caretaker over Rice’s papers. As we finish the process of digitizing his letters, sermons, and other personal correspondence, Southeastern will transfer the papers to Southwestern Seminary, where Rice attended. Now Andrew Himes, one of Rice’s grandsons, has written a new biography about his grandfather, and it is not the hagiography one might expect.

Himes, by his own admission, was the black sheep of the Rice family. Though he made a profession of faith at an early age and surrendered to preach under the ministry of Rice, by the time he went to college in the late ’60s he had abandoned his faith. When Himes graduated from the University of Wisconsin he was an atheist and a communist, and he spent the next decade as a union organizer. By his own admission, Himes traded one fundamentalism for another. By the time of Rice’s death in 1980, Himes had realized the futility of Mao’s and Stalin’s utopia, and was at the end of his rope. In many ways Himes’ biography tells the story of how he went “from worshipping his famous grandfather, to hating him, and finally to loving him.”

Through the story of Rice’s life, Himes attempts to tell the wider story of Fundamentalism. In broad surveys he recounts the influences that birthed Fundamentalism–the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings, Reconstruction, the Scopes Monkey Trials–with varying degrees of success. But the best parts of the book are the portions which tell of Rice’s relationships with those who played such a significant role in the formation of Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism. John R. Rice got his start in evangelism in no small part due to J. Frank Norris. In turn, Rice would play a pivotal role in launching the career of Billy Graham. Rice and Graham’s eventual falling out illustrated the larger break up between Fundamentalists and Evangelicals. Himes had a front row seat to many of events which shaped Evangelicalism in general and Baptists in particular. You really want to read his account of having lunch with Jerry Falwell at his grandfather’s funeral (Falwell extolled to Himes, the communist, the Christian virtues of Ronald Reagan).

In many ways The Sword of the Lord is a very sad book. Himes’ regret over the broken relationship between Rice and him comes through often. This is no whitewash: Himes deals with Rice’s failure to deal properly with the race issue during the civil rights movement. But his days as an angry communist ideologue are over. Now approaching retirement age, Himes has come to admire his grandfather’s character and courage. Without endorsing every page, I recommend The Sword of the Lord as an insightful work about a crucial person and his role in modern church history.

The Christian Scriptures make clear that God is a missionary God. In the immediate aftermath of Adam and Eve’s rebellion, God responded by promising a Seed who would defeat sin and Satan and death. Throughout the pages of the Scriptures, we see the triumphant march of God to bring forth the Messiah who would redeem God’s image-bearers and restore God’s good creation. In the New Testament, we learn that the Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, that this Jesus provides salvation through his crucifixion and resurrection, and that he will return one day to reign supremely. In that day, he will be worshipped by believers from every tribe, tongue, people, and nations, who will dwell with him eternally on the New Heavens and Earth.

We, God’s church, live between the times of his first and second comings. Living between the times, we are called to be bear witness to Christ and his gospel, both in this nation and to the far corners of the world. This is our great privilege and responsibility.

For this reason, Southeastern seeks to be a Great Commission seminary, and invites you to join us in studying and preparing to bear witness to Christ in this nation and throughout the world. Toward this end, you will have the opportunity to study with the following faculty members.

John Michael Dodson (D.Miss., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Church Planting and Evangelism, Associate Director for North American Missions for the Center for Great Commission Studies, and North American Mission Board Nehemiah Professor. He is the co-author of Comeback Churches (B&H) and has published articles in Journal of Evangelism & Mission and On Mission. Dr. Dodson is uniquely qualified in his field in that he has gained expertise both in church planting and church revitalization.

Ant Greenham (Ph.D., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Missions and Islamic Studies. Dr. Greenham was born in South Africa, lived in Palestine for years, but now has found an oasis in Wake Forest, NC. He is the author of Muslim Conversions to Christ.

Al James (Th.D., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) is Professor of Missions and Associate Dean for Proclamation Studies. Dr. James has lived and served in India and in Southeast Asia. His areas of concentration are Christian anthropology and history of mission. He is known to have a good sense of humor and is an administrative genius.

Alvin Reid (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry and Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism. He is the author of more than 10 books including Evangelism Handbook (B&H), Radically Unchurched (Kregel), and co-author with fellow SEBTS professor Mark Liederbach of The Convergent Church: Missional Worshippers in an Emerging Culture (Kregel). Dr. Reid has a pet snake, accepts hundreds of speaking engagements per year, rules Twitter, and does P90X. He’s a beast.

George Robinson (D.Miss., Western Seminary) is Headrick Chair of World Missions and Assistant Professor of Missions and Evangelism. He is the author of Striking the Match and a chapter in the aforementioned Theology and Practice of Mission (B&H, forthcoming). Dr. Robinson has lived and worked in South Asia, sports a wicked nice pair of spectacles and a dog tag, and is an expert in short-term missions.

Josef Solc (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Professor of Evangelism and Missions and author of Communicating on the Playing Field (Xulon Press), an introduction to the concept and practice of sports evangelism for the church. Dr. Solc is from the Czech Republic, where he played professional hockey and professional tennis before completing his Ph. D. and coming to SEBTS.

Bruce Riley Ashford (Ph.D., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Associate Professor of Theology & Culture, and Research Fellow for the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith & Culture. He is the editor of Theology and Practice of Mission: God, the Church, and the Nations (B&H: Forthcoming, Sept. 1, 2011).

The Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies and Missions is a double major which introduces students to knowledge, principles, and practices central to missions in national and international contexts. The College also offers the Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies with a minor in Apologetics or Missions. The M.A. in Intercultural Studies prepares students for international service with in-depth teaching and study. A student may pursue a concentration in Orality Studies, which prepares overseas workers to minister to primarily oral learners. The M.Div. with Evangelism trains vocational or church staff evangelists who may encourage church members to share the gospel in every generation. The M.Div. with Missiology is designed to equip students with the competencies necessary to serve as effective missions leaders in churches, denominational agencies, and other missions agencies in both North American and international settings. The M.Div. with North American Church Planting, under our Lewis A. Drummond Center for Great Commission Studies and in partnership with the North American Mission Board, equips leaders to plant effective churches. A focus in recent years has been to plat such churches in urban centers in the United States. The M.Div. with International Church Planting aims to provide the best training possible for the task of international missions. In partnership with the International Mission Board and under the direction of the Drummond Center, this program includes time on the mission field as part of program completion.

The D.Min with Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth follows the cohort model wherein each student moves through the coursework and fieldwork with other students in this track and under the supervision of a mentor. The D.Min. at Southeastern is designed to wed continuing field ministry with intensive seminars to further equip ministers of the gospel. The desire and design of the Ph.D. at Southeastern is to fashion and equip Great Commission scholars. To this end, the Ph.D. in Applied Theology offers several relevant concentrations in a modified residency format: the concentration in Missions is offered to IMB workers serving overseas to equip them for teaching and writing about missions and theology while continuing their service in missions. The concentration in North American Missiology is offered for those serving in church ministry in North America to equip them for a writing ministry alongside their current ministry.

We invite you to study with our Missions and Evangelism faculty in the B. A., M.A., M.Div., Th.M., or Ph.D. programs of Southeastern. For more info visit our website (http://www.sebts.edu/ or http://www.sebts.edu/college/) and check out the Admissions and Academics links.

Revelation 2:4: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen.”

Romans 10:15: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

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In the summer of 2000, I returned home from having spent two years in a predominantly Muslim context in Central Asia, where I found opportunities to share the gospel nearly every day. It was my experience in Central Asia, just as it had been during my college years, that contact with lost people was good for my soul. My love for God poured out naturally into a love for the lost around me. But the reverse was also true: my encounters and relationships with the lost spurred on my love for God. There is something beautiful and indeed powerful about seeing a lost man cry out to God, be saved by God’s grace, and walk in newness of life. Our love for God and his gospel results in a love for man (one does not commend that which he does not cherish), but also our love for God’s image-bearers results in a yet deeper love for God and his gospel (the more we proclaim and embody God’s love, the more we love Him and recognize his unsurpassed worth).

Upon returning home from Central Asia, I threw myself into Ph. D. studies. I preached the gospel, especially during the summer breaks, but for the most part I studied. As the months and years passed, I found that I rarely had conversations with unbelievers. I lived on campus, taught on campus, and worshiped with believers on Sundays. Rare was the day that I had a meaningful conversation with someone who was not a believer. Even worse, I felt like I was slowly losing the impulse to share the gospel. As a result, not only was I was withholding life from men and women who are dead in their trespasses, without hope and without God in this world, but also I was losing one of the very things that fired my passion for God.

Ironically, I was attending a seminary that confessed absolute confidence in God and his gospel and encouraged evangelistic zeal at every turn. For over a decade now, under two different presidents, this has remained the same. And yet retaining my affection for God and a love for the lost remains a struggle for me. I suspect that I am not alone, and I offer some advice for those those who may find themselves in this situation-seminary students and employees, pastors, employees of SBC entities, etc.: Do whatever it takes to break out of the Christian bubble within which you live, and take the gospel of life to those who are dead. In an attempt to do this myself, I have designated a few days each month during which I do my work (research, writing, email, whatever) at a coffee shop or student center at UNC, Duke, or one of the other college campuses in our area. Here is another idea: Try coming home from work or from the library before 10:00 p.m., and in so doing you might actually meet some of your neighbors who are lost. A final idea: Instead of listening to that next Tim Keller sermon, put down the iPod and actually do what it is that Keller is talking about-share the gospel.

In conclusion, don’t resent your time “in the bubble.” Don’t reject the great opportunity God has given you to lay the foundation for a lifetime of ministry. Don’t feel guilty that you are here. Seminary is your calling at this time in your life. Take advantage of your classes, your professors, your fellow students. Make the most of your studies in church history, theology, or missions. But while you are at it, don’t allow yourself to lose your first love for God and your love for the lost.

Wayne is best known for being a practitioner, advocate, and teacher of expositional preaching. His most well-known books are probably his two preaching textbooks: The Twelve Essential Skills for Great Preaching, 2d. ed. (B&H Academic, 2006) and The Moment of Truth: A Guide to Effective Sermon Delivery (B&H Academic, 1999). Both of these textbooks are used in numerous seminaries and colleges. Wayne has also mentored dozens of doctoral students over the years, most of whom serve as pastors of local Southern Baptist churches.

Recently, Wayne has authored a second updated edition of his 1980 book Making Friends for Christ: A Practical Approach to Relational Evangelism (Xulon Press, 2010). This is a very good book. Rather than arguing for another outreach program that focuses on impersonal, spontaneous evangelism, Wayne argues that we should befriend others for the sake of the gospel. He also provides some practical advice for how we can be better friends, neighbors, listeners, and ultimately evangelists. While the entire book is helpful, many readers will especially resonate with his exposition of the Great Commission (a timely topic among Southern Baptists!), his advice for how to overcome relational barriers, his discussion of the relationship between prayer and evangelism, and his wisdom about the role that families and churches play in relational evangelism.

The basic information of the book can be found below. I would urge you to purchase a copy of Making Friends for Christ for yourself and maybe consider using it in your Sunday School class, small group, or local church outreach ministry. I would also encourage you to check out Wayne’s personal website, http://www.waynemcdill.net/, for other helpful resources related to preaching and evangelism.

Author: Wayne McDill
Title: Making Friends for Christ: A Practical Approach to Relational Evangelism, 2d. ed.
Publisher: Xulon Press
Pages: xi + 168
Chapters: 10 + preface and conclusion
Retail: $14.99
Amazon.com: $11.69 (22% off)