EVANGELIST QUALIFICATIONS

[OnfireforJesus]

I appreciate the quick response's to my intial question on biblical qualifications of an evangelists. With that said, I must further explain why I have asked this question. After accepting Jesus as my Lord and Saviour about four years ago I have been on FIRE for HIM ever since. The Lord has allowed me to work with the youth at my church and He has also CALLED me into Bible College where I have just finished my first year. Praise His Holy name. However, now I am wrestling with feelings, that I can get up in front of people and share a powerful testimony along with a message of salvation which this world is in dire need of. People automatically assume since I am going to Bible College that I have been called to preach. I have somewhat of a difficult time explaining that God has called me to something I just do not know what? The conflict arises from me being a member of an independent fundamental Baptist church and here is the catch. I have been married once before. I am going to talk to my Pastor about this but it is almost certian that this is a conflict with what he believes and teaches. Please help!

 

[Hope of Glory]

Well, it's not a conflict, but you will have a hard time with most independent fundamental Baptist preachers with that one, as it conflicts with what they've been taught by other men.

This has been covered indepth here on the boards, though.

 

[Scott J]

Amen HoG

OffJ, please check your pm's.

 

[thjplgvp]

Based on my personal study over the years I would say that all things are possible to you in ministry except pastorate.

What ever calling you feel you are led to will necessitate that you be absolutely certain it is God's will for you. The refining process in ministry can be difficult and for that reason there will be times when the only thing keeping you from walking away will be your calling. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance.

Good reads for you at this point in your life would be "Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible" by Jay Adams (Zondervan) ISBN 0-310-51111-9

The Perfect will of God by George Christian Weiss (Moody Press) ISBN 0802464688

Regardless of the feed back on your post remember you will be the only one giving an account for your actions to God. There is wisdom in a multitude of councilors but that wisdom must come from those who are of like doctrine, and direction and are walking with the Lord. You cannot always tell if someone on the board is spiritual or not because you cannot see their walk you just read their words.

 

[bapmom]

Onfire,

I don't know that this would be a problem for most IFB preachers, as long as you realize that preaching is not the same thing as pastoring. Since you do not yet know what God is calling you to, I don't see the conflict that you are seeing.

I know many laymen preachers. And every male Christian schoolteacher I ever had spent alot of time "preaching" to us in class....

Evangelists are also not seen as pastors, per se, and so are not subject to that passage of qualifications for a pastor.

 

[Shiloh]

Evangelists are also not seen as pastors, per se, and so are not subject to that passage of qualifications for a pastor.
-------------------------------------------------
They arn't? They are when they come to my church! Would you take your family to hear an evangelist that has kids that are rebellious? An evangelist that has been married, divorced and remarried? One who is a brawler or a novice or heavily in debt? I don't think so. Son, the very fact you asked the question shows the possibility of the Holy Spirit shedding some light on a certain area for you to work on. There are many things you can do beside preach. This is a bad place to come for spiritual advice. You will have people agree with anything on this board. For instance, can an evangelist drink, smoke, dance or smoke dope? You can get someone on here to say yes to all four.

 

[bapmom]

Brother Shiloh,

to me there is a big distinction between being a "preacher" and being in the position of a "pastor". I believe it is the duty of saved men to preach God's Word to the unsaved. Yes, a man who has some things to work on in his private life can still be preaching God's Word. He may damage his message if he does not get his home life in order, but he still ought to be out there telling people the gospel. Are you seriously saying that a man has to have everything in line before he can even stand up and give a testimony and tell people how to be saved? Since this is exactly what "Onfire" is talking about, I see no problem.

 

[Shiloh]

I'm not talking about standing up and "giving" your testimony, I'm talking about a fellow traveling and preaching as an evangelist.

 

[bapmom]

well my brother, Id not have a problem with him being a travelling evangelist, either.


Onfire, I was in Bible college for a year and a half before I knew what I was called to. It could be that God is leading you to share your testimony now, somewhere where it is especially needed. Perhaps there is a ministry where your particular testimony can be highly effective?

As IFBs our preachers can be loud when they express themselves from their pulpit, but that doesn't mean your pastor won't be willing to quietly speak with you and help you work through this.

 

[thjplgvp]

Shiloh,

Careful my brother, passion does not necessarily make one right.

An evangelist is not a pastor and he is not an overseer of the flock. In our culture today he is the one who is to turn the plow pan over. That one who challenges on a whole different level and delivers the hard aggressive messages that are so needed in a politically correct environment. Indeed they are (for us) the Samuels, Isaiah’s, Elijah's and Elisha's of our day.

 

[Shiloh]

You think I can't hoe close to the row? You think I can't preach hard? Come on around this Sunday I guarantee you hard preaching! Preaching against sin!! I love to hear a good evangelist preach however he better have his house in order. A few years ago I had an evangelist lined up to preach for me. This fellow was a good friend and had preached for me many times before. He could peel the skin off an onion with his preaching. He had a GOOD family. However just before he was to come I received a letter from him. He was unfaithful to his wife and would not preach for me. This man has repented and is now serving the Lord in a church and he sells insurance for income. Should he still be an evangelist, bapmom? I think he did right.

 

[thjplgvp]

I think you misunderstand brother,

I am not suggesting an evangelist should not have his house in order. I am stating that divorce does not disqualify a person from serving in ministry only from taking the overseership in a church.

Your friend is subject to his home churches decision on how his situation was handled.

The original post asked a simple question, in the readers opinion did his divorce disallow him from serving as an evangelist? And IMO is that it does not.

 

[Tom Bryant]

OnFire,
You said you just finished your first year of Bible college. Keep praying about what God wants you to do. But spend the next years as you study and serve to let God sharpen and clean your axe.

You don't have to know what's going to happen after you graduate, to know what God's will is for you right now, and that is to study and to prepare for whatever God calls you to.

Don't worry about people not understanding what you are going to do. Don't even worry about YOU not knowing what God has called you to. It is enough that Go0d knows and in His own time will let you know also.

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by Shiloh:
They arn't? They are when they come to my church!

Read your Bible where Jesus stated that it was His church. It is not your church. Your life is but a vapor and the church is eternal.

Would you take your family to hear an evangelist that has kids that are rebellious? An evangelist that has been married, divorced and remarried? One who is a brawler or a novice or heavily in debt? I don't think so.

Then I guess you would not listen to the muderers Moses and David and the persecutor Paul who wrote much of the Bible. Wasn't Paul a pastor of pastors? All of these men whom God used you would not listen to? Doesn't that put you as a man against God.

Son, the very fact you asked the question shows the possibility of the Holy Spirit shedding some light on a certain area for you to work on.

Read the Psalms and you will see David asking a lot of questions of God.

God will choose to use people in ways He chooses and it is beyond your control. Even Moses who said he was not qualified, God said differently.

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by Shiloh:
You think I can't hoe close to the row? You think I can't preach hard? Come on around this Sunday I guarantee you hard preaching! Preaching against sin!!

Paul claimed the only thing he could boast about is that he knew God. Where is your humility in your statements? From out of the heart the mouth speaks.

He had a GOOD family. This man has repented and is now serving the Lord in a church and he sells insurance for income.

What happened to his family?

 

[Shiloh]

Most time a person makes excuses for an evangelist or preacher that is not qualified and mocks another man it's because they are making excuses for the sin in their life.

 

[Hope of Glory]

Or they look at the Scriptures instead of listening to the teachings of men.

 

[rbell]

Originally posted by Tom Bryant:
OnFire,
You said you just finished your first year of Bible college. Keep praying about what God wants you to do. But spend the next years as you study and serve to let God sharpen and clean your axe.

You don't have to know what's going to happen after you graduate, to know what God's will is for you right now, and that is to study and to prepare for whatever God calls you to.

Don't worry about people not understanding what you are going to do. Don't even worry about YOU not knowing what God has called you to. It is enough that God knows and in His own time will let you know also.

Excellent advice.

Let me piggyback this with it:

Think God can use you?
(author unknown)
</font>

• Noah was drunk.</font>
• Abraham was too old.</font>
• Isaac was a daydreamer.</font>
• Jacob was a liar.</font>
• Leah was ugly.</font>
• Joseph was abused.</font>
• Moses was a murderer.</font>
• Deborah was a woman.</font>
• Gideon was afraid.</font>
• Samson had long hair.</font>
• Rahab was a prostitute.</font>
• Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.</font>
• Elijah was suicidal.</font>
• Isaiah preached naked.</font>
• Jonah ran away from God.</font>
• Naomi was a widow.</font>
• Job was bankrupt.</font>
• John the Baptist ate locusts.</font>
• Peter was impulsive and hot tempered.</font>
• So was Moses.</font>
• Martha worried about everything.</font>
• Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed.</font>
• The Samaritan Woman was divorced (more than once).</font>
• Zacchaeus was too small.</font>
• Paul was too religious.</font>
• Timothy had a stomach ulcer.</font>
• David pretended madness, had an affair and ran away from his own son.</font>
• Lazarus was dead.</font>

Some of these are natural conditions. Others are sins. Most of these sinners repented and went on. And they all served God faithfully in spite of their difficulties.

 

[Rev. Lowery]

How do you relate - - - Matt 19:9, 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Romans 8:29-31.......

Then does 1 Tim 3:1-7 apply to a mans whole life or post salvation ???? If it applies to a mans whole life there would be none fit to pastor.

Romans 6 says it all......

What we did pre-salvation is of no concern. If post salvation you meet the requirements of 1 Tim. 3 then Pastor.

Everyone gets hung up on divorce and acts like your doomed for life ......Why ? If someone was a drunk do we say well because you once drank you cant pastor ?

I mean come on. Your lost until your saved.

 

[Scott J]

Originally posted by Rev. Lowery:
How do you relate - - - Matt 19:9, 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Romans 8:29-31.......

Then does 1 Tim 3:1-7 apply to a mans whole life or post salvation ???? If it applies to a mans whole life there would be none fit to pastor.

I agree mostly except that repentance and forgiveness aren't limited to the unsaved.

But don't expect an answer to whether the "one woman man" principle applies to a person's whole life. Shiloh et al will refuse to face this inconsistency in their position.