Faithful are the wounds of a friend: Have we lost evangelism?

A good friend tells you when you have something stuck between your teeth just before the photograph is taken. 

Scotland’s David Andrew Robertson was a guest on The Pastor’s Heart a few months ago and is a good friend.  

In an interview with Australian Church Record, having spent three months in Sydney, he’s had some significant things to say about the Sydney Anglican Church and asks have we gone off the boil on seeking the lost saved? 

“I came here expecting to learn a great deal about evangelism. I have learnt about church structures, praise, organisation and leadership training—all of which is essential.

“But in my limited experience I’m not convinced that evangelism is a strong point amongst Sydney Anglicans (or indeed some other Christians)… There is a little bit of a sense of living on past glories and seeking to maintain legacies.

“I have very much enjoyed reading about Australian Christianity, not least in Meredith Lake’s wonderful book on the Bible in Australia and the memories of ‘Chappo’, whose shadow seems to fall everywhere. It seems to me that he was an extraordinary and wonderful man who had a phenomenal evangelistic impact (along with others).

“But where are the ‘Chappos’ today? I don’t think that people should try to imitate the inimitable. Chappo was a different man in a different era. But we do need people with his passion, theology and personal evangelism skills. Most of all we need churches that have evangelism in their DNA.” (Link to full interview)

Sydney Minister Nathan Walter also asks in the current Australian Church Record, ‘Have we lost our way in Evangelism?’ (Link to full ACR issue)

Phil Colgan from St George North Anglican Church and Craig Schafer from St Mark's Pennant Hills for a live discussion with Dominic Steele to discuss what we can learn from from David’s critique.