Anti-evangelism
slide: Institute of creation Science
Stick with me on this one.
Michael Faraday, 1791-1867, from England, made a lot about discoveries about electromagnetism, and certain provable realities are now called 'Faraday's Law'.
One of the interesting things about electromagnetic energy,
is that electricity can use certain devices (inductors) to create electromagnetic energy,
but then when the electrical current begins to change,
the electromagnetic energy field,
created by the electricity,
resists any change in the level that electricity flows through the machine.
The electromagnetic unit of that device attempts to sustain the electrons' status-quo.
I suggest that every church has a vein of that same tendency.
Evangelism creates people that resist evangelism.
Evangelism creates anti-evangelists.
The are some people that quietly resist evangelism because it would change church dynamics,
and those people sabotage evangelism programs for the same reason.
Like it or not, admit it or not:
1) There are pastors who don't want their church to grow beyond a certain size.
2) There are deacons who don't want their church to grow beyond a certain size.
3) There are ministry leaders who don't want their church to grow beyond a certain size.
4) There are pew-warmers who don't want their church to grow beyond a certain size.
Why is this? I can think of a few reasons:
1) These leaders have a budgeted a certain amount of energy they intend to expend on ministry,
and they don't intend to do any more than that.
2) They covet the position which brings them authority, power and respect,
and can't imagine co-leading with anyone, and like Saul, doesn't want someone else
who might become more beloved in the eyes of the people.
3) Some regulars believe they will be pushed out of their church-cliques if new people come in.
This is probably what happened to them in junior high and they don't want to see it repeated.
Ironically, this is often because we really make over new folks in church,
and we expect the regulars to pitch in and help new people feel welcome.
The reason these original folks stayed is partly because of the welcome they received,
but now they don't want to share that welcome with others.
Wow.
This is anti-evangelism, and it needs to be confronted, not pitied or babied.
Welcoming a new person to church is like bringing a new baby into the family.
The ex-youngest child gets less attention from the adults,
but gains another person to be loved by.
So, is anti-evangelism just a form of sibling rivalry,
wanting to be special at the expense of the unsaved?
"He must increase, I must decrease."