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I admit the Protestant (and Anglican) circle, is not much better, especially in Europe, where many are turned off to state churches. In North America, the majority who would write Protestant on an application form show little interest in Jesus Christ. I explain that what matters is belonging to a smaller circle that partly overlaps all three, and represents those in each group who believe what the apostles taught, and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. All who are close to him must be close to each other, in doctrine, practice and fellowship. I call them evangelical Catholics, evangelical Orthodox and evangelical Protestants, because they believe the Evangel — the Gospel, and seek to make it known.
Those of us inside this smaller circle have much more in common with each other, across religious lines, than with other people in our own larger circles. Our evangelism should seek to draw more people from each circle into the center, into the family of Jesus Christ. But I make most of the smaller circle overlap the Protestant one — without apology. I explain that far more Protestants find a relationship with God, because from the start this experience was considered essential for salvation. The Bible is their authority. Regular Regular reading is encouraged from childhood. Everyone owns a Bible. So more Evangelicals are found in this circle than in the other two. The Catholic and Orthodox hierarchies allowed ritual to substitute for a personal relationship with God, and discouraged Bible reading, except for the Gospels. Some Evangelicals in Latin America and Spain were even imprisoned because a Bible was found in their homes. The methods the Church used in fascist Spain, twenty years ago, were similar to those used in the Communist countries. All student meetings in my little apartment in Spain were illegal on three counts. Evangelicals were forbidden to meet except in a few authorized meeting places — a right granted only in 1965! Students could not get permission to meet at all. To have fifteen visitors in a home required police authorization. I had up to forty evangelical students at a time. I was glad when my landlord and landlady found God! Wherever Catholic and Orthodox Churches are in the minority, they are tolerant, but in countries where they dominate, they are often intolerant of other religions. This is becoming evident again in the resurgent Orthodox Churches in the new ex-Soviet republics. Catholics no longer forbid Bible reading, but rarely encourage it. In many countries, Catholic Bibles cost too much for the majority to buy. In Spain, three girls found God in our Bible studies, although their priest forbade them to attend. He said only priests and nuns can interpret the Bible, because only they have the Holy Spirit. In Portugal, when I invited Luis to study the Bible, he said, “Oh, I’ve already read it. We read the Gospel in sixth grade, I think.” A typical answer. In evangelizing Catholics or Orthodox, I do not talk about the failures of their Churches or the persecution of Protestants. But I begin this paper on this note to show why adherents of these two groups need to be evangelized, and why Evangelicals, often a persecuted minority, may find it difficult to evangelize them. Exciting renewal in both Churches has given the impression that evangelism is no longer necessary. (An Egyptian Coptic Orthodox priest gets 2000 people to midweek Bible study!) Even some Evangelicals talk about reunion, maybe to increase our political clout, on issues like pro-life. But the renewal movements are still small and varied. Jesus prayed for unity among his discples’ converts, but only a unity based on biblical truth (Jn.17:18 ff). The doctrinal differences that separate us are not minor, but fundamental. But we can join forces on social and political issues, to multiply our strength. Most important are personal friendships. Some other kinds of association can lead to better understanding and good relationships. In Brazil, our ABU conducted a training course in Minas Gerais, on the same small college campus where a Catholic student group was conducting theirs. We ran our separate programs, but shared the dining room and recreation, and one discussion session. Since we were training our students in evangelism, we found ourselves in an ideal laboratory. In Sao Paulo, we were delighted when the national leaders of the Catholic university student movement came to us to learn inductive Bible study, and took along our Bible study guides! You will meet many Catholics and Orthodox who are devout, with high moral standards and family values. But the crucial question is not, Are they bad or good?” Iris Are they dead or alive?” There is no neutral place in between. Jesus says everyone is already spiritually dead, and must be transferred from death to life — which is humanly impossible and requires a divine miracle (Jn.5:24). ‘When Jesus Christ is invited into our lives, he enters our innermost being by his Spirit, to be Lord of all our relationships and activities. Because his Spirit cannot die, we have eternal life. ‘God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; lie who has not the Son of God has not life’ (1 Jn.5:11-12). Our salvation is a Person! “You are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Rom.8:8-9). It is life that we must help our Catholic and Orthodox friends to find. Even devout Catholics and Orthodox have no assurance of salvation, as they continue the rituals, confession and penance, and rosaries. They hope that the good they have done, on one side of the scales will outweigh their sins and failures on the other side. You can be sure that your friends’ deepest needs have not been met. If they only knew what you have to give them! My first section describes how Christendom came to have three divisions, and the doctrinal issues that separate them. The second lists kinds of Catholic and Orthodox seekers you may encounter. The third section provides suggestions for evangelizing them. 1. One Church Divides Into ThreeTwo thousand years ago. Jesus and die apostles founded his Church. It was a ‘catholic” church, only in the sense that catholic means “universal. The Roman Catholic Church that developed later bore little resemblance to it. The Church of the early centuries belongs especially to all those who believe the teachings of Jesus and the apostles — to Evangelicals. It is exciting how a few apostles and their converts, quickly extended the early Church all over the Roman Empire and beyond, in spite of severe persecution from the later emperors — Domitian, Diocletian, Decius. etc. Between 196 AD and 212 AD the theologian Tertullian wrote about Christians in the Empire: "We are but of yesterday, and yet we have filled all the places that belong to you — cities, islands, forts, towns, exchanges: the military camps themselves, tribes, town councils, the palace, the senate, the market-place: we have left you noting but your temples.” (Apologeticus, 37:4ff.) Then the Emperor Constantine made Christianity the religion of his Empire. But it was not a favor to Christians. Crowds rushed to be baptized, for social and economic advantage, but without finding God. The church had been a power in the world; now the world was in the church, diluting and changing it. The concept of the church became territorial, parallel to and coinciding with the Empire. Greek neo-Platonic ideas entered — the body is the prison of the soul. etc. The doctrine of Mary developed from the worship of the ancient mother-goddess of the Mediterranean. called Astarte in Syria and Artemis in the Province of Asia. The Church Fathers struggled with new doctrinal formulations and worked through differences in Church Councils — seven of them from 325 AD to 787 AD. They produced valuable creeds — doctrinal statements for public worship. (But the earlier, beautiful Apostles’ Creed was not formulated in a Council — nor by the apostles. It was declared the creed of the West by the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in the 800’s.) Barbarian invasions led Constantine to move his capital from Rome to Byzantium, and rename it Constantinople (today’s Istanbul). The Church had four equal bishops: in Byzantium, Rome, Jerusalem and Alexandria. The Christian Church, like the Empire, was culturally divided into the Latin-speaking European West and the Greek-speaking Semitic East. (The Slavs came later.) But Rome was in rapid decline in the 4th century because Germanic tribes, pushed by Asiatic tribes, were invading the Empire. Large landowners forced small peasant farms out. Fields lay uncultivated, so less tax money was collected. The Roman military, mainly foreign mercenaries, plundered local people for food. Many soldiers were Goths — even officers. No wonder Alaric the Goth sacked Rome in 410 AD! But no strong leadership arose from the successive invaders; so Roman bishops filled the vacancy. Bishop Gregory declared himself Pope Gregory I, in 590 AD. The western Church evangelized the northern invaders — Goths, Visigoths, Vandals, Franks, Saxons, etc. Many were already christianized by believers they had captured (but not the terrible Vikings). Then Charles I, King of the Franks, conquered most of Western Europe, and on December 25, 800 AD, Pope Leo III crowned him Emperor Charlemagne. By then, Spain, Portugal and Sicily had fallen to Muslim invaders from the south, who would dominate them for seven centuries! In the 5th and 6th centuries, the Nestorian church in Persia and Monophysite churches of the Middle East and India — who held that Jesus was less than fully God — had split from the eastern Church. But in the 8th and 9th centuries, a great split arose over icons — little sacred pictures. The eastern Church was critical of the western Church for its idolatry in allowing statues. Catholics said the images were aids to the veneration — not worship — of Mary and the saints. But the Orthodox used icons the same way. Advocates argued they were symbols to aid worship; opponents called them idolatry. The bitter struggle over this issue lasted 120 years. In the 9th and 10th centuries, the eastern Church evangelized or christianized the invading Slays-Bulgarians, Serbians, and the peoples that would become Russia. But soon the Turks were capturing sizeable sections for Islam. But 1054 AD marks the date when the eastern Church and the western Church officially divided. Easterners objected to the Pope (who tinkered with a Creed), to his claim to absolute authority, to priestly celibacy, to Roman views on images, the mass and Eucharist. The bishops of the two churches excommunicated each other! The easterners called themselves Orthodox — the Church of the Seven Councils. They deemed the westerners to be heretical and called them the “Roman” Church. The westerners took the name, Roman Catholic Church — the universal one. Relationships were tolerable until the Crusaders plundered Constantinople. Only since the big split in 1054 can we speak of a Catholic Church. By then both sides contained heresy. Both also contained real believers. Many withdrew into monastic communities because they were dissatisfied with the spiritual life in society and in the Church. The writings of some medieval saints indicate they knew God, in spite of mystical excesses. Bernard of Clairvaux, a French Cistercian monk in the 13th century, wrote our beautiful hymns, Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee, 0 Sacred Head Once Wounded, and Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts. The Catalan, Ramon Llul, was a 13th century missionary to Muslims, and a contemporary of the Italian, Francis of Assisi. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross founded the Carmelites — which began as a renewal movement. Francis Xavier, a Basque, took the Gospel to the Far East, after helping Ignatius Loyola found the Jesuits — which began as a missionary movement. But in 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Turks, who turned the big Church of Holy Wisdom (Sofia) into a Muslim mosque, discriminated against the Christians, imposed heavy taxes and forbade them to evangelize. Converts from Islam risked execution. The Christians settled for survival. Many converted to Islam for social advantage, because they held a false view of Jesus’ deity and had never been born again. The center of Orthodoxy passed to Moscow, ‘the Third Rome.’ The Pope ruled the West with absolute power. The East became a federation of self-governing national churches. Each district has a supreme leader, called a patriarch, or then metropolitans or archbishops. But none may interfere in each other’s Churches. The Catholic Church’s authorities are the Pope, his decrees, canon law and the Bible. The Orthodox authorities are the creeds, the seven Ecumenical Councils, the Bible, canon law, later writings and liturgy. Catholics say the Pope is infallible: the Orthodox claim their Church is infallible. Both churches venerate Mary, the saints and angels, through images or icons, and revere relics. Both Churches observe the same seven sacraments, but with different views about how they are channels of God’s grace: infant baptism, confirmation, the mass and Eucharist, ordination, confession and penance, matrimony and extreme unction. All must be officiated by priests. Both believe in rosaries, prayers to the saints, prayers and masses for the dead, to get them out of purgatory (where they pay for sins) into heaven. Orthodox masses were always said in the vernacular, while Catholic masses were in Latin until Vatican II. Catholics believe that baptism cleanses infants from original sin, and restores their righteousness, which is deepened by continuation and sustained by the mass, regular confession and penance, good works and suffering. There is no need for a new birth. In the mass and the Eucharist, Catholics are continually offering Jesus as a sacrifice on the altar, a repetition of his crucifixion. They see no permanent efficacy in his death on the cross. Heb. 10:10-14 says Jesus’ single sacrifice of himself once for all paid for all sin for all time. There is little emphasis on the resurrection or the living Christ. The focal point of the mass is transubstantiation — that the bread and the wine are literally changed into the body and blood of Jesus — to be partaken. It is how Jesus is received. Yet Jesus told the Pharisees that what goes into the mouth ends up in the sewage, not in the soul (Mt.15:17 ff.). Central to Orthodox belief is the Holy Trinity, but Jesus is secondary to the Father. Salvation comes by receiving the Holy Spirit, but involves a process of deification. It is available only through fixed liturgy and the sacraments. They are fanatical about details. Easter is the first and most important of twelve annual religious feasts. Services are sung or chanted, without musical instruments. Priests may marry, but bishops are chosen from unmarried priests. The Roman popes had become absolute monarchs, their hierarchy following empire models. Papal claims reached their zenith in 1302 when Pope Boniface III decreed “outside of the Church there is no salvation.” That is, the Roman Catholic Church. The Orthodox taught there was no salvation outside of their Church. Both sides were far from the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. In 14th century Europe, national states were replacing and challenging papal prerogatives. The feudal system was breaking up. With growing cities, the revival of trade and a money economy, an exploited peasantry was giving way to a new socioeconomic class — a middle class. The Renaissance produced a new era of cultural achievement and intellectual unrest. The Catholic Church was in decline, with secularized, immoral popes — three rival popes during the Great Schism of 1377-1429. Ignorant, corrupt priests abused their authority, selling indulgences to forgive sins. The Church was already being challenged by Christian humanists, and by the Waldenses in the Alps, the Lollards in England and the Hussites in Bohemia — all early evangelical movements. In Germany and Holland, a communal lay movement, called ‘Brethren of the Common Life,’ emphasized education and book translation, and produced influential Christian humanists like Erasmus. Another well-known member was Thomas a Kempis, who wrote the little book, Imitation of Christ. They were one of the influences that led to the conversion of the Catholic priest, Martin Luther, through the study of Romans. In 1517, Luther, posted on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral his 95 theses — reforms needed in the Catholic Church. He wanted to bring the Church back to its apostolic roots — not to start a new one. But his trial before Emperor Charles V in 1521 in Worms, ended in his excommunication. By then he had let loose an irreversible flood! The reform movement had already begun with many people quietly opting out of the Church. A major factor was Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1453, and the translation of the Bible into several languages. Until then, only a few clergy had access to hand-copied Scriptures, in Latin. Now the people could read it for themselves. Luther himself did a translation into German. Catholics called the Reformers “Protestants” because they protested the doctrine and practice of the Catholic Church. The Reformation was a genuine spiritual movement of God, even though many supporters had secular motivations. German princes took advantage of the movement to get their principalities out from under Vatican control. Protestantism quickly became the dominant faith of most of the German states and Scandinavia, and influenced the rest of Europe. Zwingli led the reforms in German Switzerland. John Calvin, in French Switzerland, became the movement’s most powerful theologian. John Knox led in Scotland. In England, Henry VIII severed ties with Rome over his divorce from Catharine of Aragon. But more than a century before, John Wyclif and the Lollards had started a lay movement, with the Scriptures in English, and many people wanted freedom from Rome. Now Tyndale, Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer and others gave their lives to restore England to the faith. It is sad that some Reformers engaged in persecution. They were products of their time, recent converts from Catholicism, and pioneering an uncharted path. The Catholic Church was territorial (all in its regions had to be Catholic), so it forced a territorial view upon the Reformed Churches, which led to endless conflict. The radical reformers — the anabaptists — rejected reform of the Roman system. They built afresh on New Testament principles. They rejected the territorial church, emphasized the priesthood of every believer and the autonomy of the local church. Members had to be committed believers, baptized after their personal confession of faith. Many were pacifistic. They were called anabaptists, or rebaptizers, and suffered persecution from Catholics and Protestants. Many fled Germany and Switzerland for more tolerant Holland, the maritime power which became the richest, most modern country in Europe. Here a convened priest, Menno Simons, became the dominant leader and most Anabaptists were called Mennonites. In the 1600’s Baptists, Quakers and other free church groups grew out of the same principles. Anabaptists have had enormous influence on evangelicalism, even in mainline denominations. The Reformation was a return to the Bible as ultimate authority, and to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Luther preached sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide. (The Bible alone, grace alone, faith alone.) The teaching of justification by faith, without the sacraments or works, brought many into a personal relationship with God. Two sacraments were retained and reinterpreted, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The priesthood of every believer was a radical concept! The Reformation occurred just when Europe was exploring and colonizing the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. When Holland and Britain became maritime powers, they took lands that had been in the control of the Spanish and Portuguese, but not much in South America. Virtually all the early Protestant evangelists were lay people who made Jesus Christ known as they supported themselves in secular trades and professions — in the way the Apostle Paul integrated his ministry with his tentmaking. But they opened the way for formal, church-supported missionaries, who won vast numbers to the Lord on every continent. But soon Modernist rationalism and higher criticism undermined confidence in the Bible. Protestantism declined in the very regions where it had been born, and elsewhere. But countless numbers of evangelical Protestants dropped out to form new churches, while others remained inside to exert godly influence from within. Today, the liberal churches continue to dwindle, while evangelical ones continue to grow, both inside and outside of mainline Protestantism. But back in the 16th century, the Pope responded to the Reformers with the Counter-Reformation — a great wave of persecution, that led to the death of many, and the flight of many more, and the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which made Catholic doctrine even more rigid. The doctrine of Mary, “Mother of God,” had been debated for centuries. But it did not become dogma until 1854! Pope Pius IX promulgated the Immaculate Conception of Mary (no original sin), her lifelong sinlessness and her perpetual virginity. As sin came into the world through Eve, so redemption now came by Mary. She became Coredemptrix with Jesus, and a Mediatrix, dispensing grace to needy sinners. But see Acts 4:13; 1 Jn.14:6, 1 Tim.2:5,6. There was no way to substantiate this dogma from the Scriptures, so papal infallibility was decreed in the First Vatican Council in 1870. A pope’s official decrees now have the same authority as the Bible, even if they are contrary to it. (In 1950, Pius XII decreed the Bodily Assumption of Mary. Like Jesus, she also ascended to heaven!) They argued that since the Catholic Church corresponds to “the body of Christ,” the Pope, its head, must correspond to Christ. Hence, the Pope’s official declarations are the same as if Jesus had made them. In spite of the false teaching, some of it sacrilegious, God still worked through true believers in the Catholic Church. One example is the Jansenist movement in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its best-known figure was the noted philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal. In his Pensees, he wrote, “Every person has within him a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill.” lie said, “I have not found the God of the philosophers, because he does not exist. But I have found the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ The Vatican II New Catholicism Pope John XXIII convened the Vatican II Council to give progressives a forum. It was held between 1962 and 1965, and opened the way for a tide of innovations, which subsequent popes have been unable to stop. In one sense, little changed, because the Popes and the majority of Catholics continue to uphold the traditional, Counter-Reformation doctrines of the Council of Trent and Vatican I. Vatican II reformulated doctrine in such a way that traditionalists and progressives could read different meanings into the same phrases. The Church claims it never changes, so progressives said they were developing the ideas implicit in Church doctrines. It caused controversy and confusion. The doctrine of Mary remained. Papal authority was challenged — the Pope should be only the first among equals. Priests and nuns should be allowed to marry. (Many have since left the Church.) The doctrine of transubstantiation became trans-signification — the Eucharist is somewhere between symbolic and literal. They gave the Bible new importance, but rejected much of it because of radical biblical criticism. Many of their ideas are the old Protestant Modernism in a new guise. Vatican II opened the door to the charismatic movement, but also to Asian mysticism like New Age, transcendental meditation, Zen Buddhism, and to ideologies, like Liberation Theology and Marxism. The Catholic charismatic movement began in the U.S. in 1966. Although small, it bypasses the doctrinal confusion. They say, “Experience unites, doctrine divides.” Many people have found God through it. But in most of it the cult of Mary is prominent, as well as the mass, the Eucharist, penance and the rosary. Since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and leads people into truth, one concludes that the speaking in tongues in some groups is merely psychological. But the most important change is a new universalism. Progressives said that all people who believe in any religion are saved, no matter which one. Since this contradicted the doctrine that there is no salvation outside the Catholic Church, they claimed that the perimeter of the Church constantly changes to include every person with faith in any religion. I was one of seven Evangelicals — the only woman — invited to participate in an Evangelical-Catholic dialogue at the Maryknoll Father’s center in New York. The six priests and one nun, represented diverse Catholic orders. They included one of this continent’s leading Catholic theologians, and even a Monsignor who had come from Rome. They drew concentric circles, with a cross in the middle, to show the traditional Catholic view on salvation. Only the inner circle, the Catholics, were true Christians. Next came the ‘separated brethren’ — Orthodox and Protestants. The next ring represented people of other religions. The outer ring was for atheists. God’s salvation could be mediated only through the Catholic sacraments.
They explained that many clergy now teach that Jesus’ death paid everyone’s sins and saves everyone, whether they know it or not, or whether they want it or not. These are latent, anonymous or implicit Christians. A loving God would not condemn anyone. They say salvation can be mediated in many ways. This was the most conservative view at this meeting, except for that of the silent Monsignor. A couple of the priests said there is no guilt to pay, and Jesus’ death had only symbolic value — an example of love. But the noted theologian said it is indifferent whether Jesus lived or died — his death was not unique. I asked what he considered Christian about his view. They said most North American and European clergy already hold these views. If truth exists, it is to be found through dialogue with other religions — Buddhist monks, Hindus, etc. So the Catholic publisher, Orbis Books, seeks non-Christian authors. But the Monsignor from Rome had come to listen. We talked between meetings. He asked my opinion on a paper — a new doctrinal statement. I said that if the Church held only to his doctrinal position, little would stand in the way of Catholic-Protestant reunion. I led this Monsignor to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. The goal of the Catholic progressives is ecumenical and political. They not only seek to reunite the three divisions of Christendom, but to achieve a synthesis of all religions. They propose to unite the whole world under Catholicism! An unhappy prospect. Today, the Catholic Church claims 16.8% of the world’s population, and is growing at 1.3% a year. The Orthodox Churches claim 4.1%, and are growing at 3.3 % — ex-Soviet Orthodox are returning to the fold. Protestants make up 10.3%, and are growing at 3.3%. (Many are leaving the European State Churches to avoid paying church taxes.) But Protestant Evangelicals are growing at 6.8% all over the world! Nearly 70% of them now live in Africa, Asia and Latin America! As we evangelize, what kinds of Catholic and Orthodox seekers are we likely to find? 2.Varieties Of Catholics And OrthodoxThe following are not official designations, but terms I find helpful. There is unavoidable overlap. I say more about Catholics, because I have more experience with them. Also. there has been less change in the Orthodox Church. I include them where appropriate. There are as many kinds of each as there are individuals. Discover how each seeker understands his own religion. He may not know more about it than the average Protestant knows about his. Listen to them. 1. Evangelical Catholics and Orthodox. The many who find God in our campus fellowships often cannot be distinguished from Protestant Evangelicals in their beliefs and practices. Some attend mass and an evangelical Protestant church, and eventually join the latter. Some find fellowship in genuinely renewed Catholic churches, but these are still few. Many Orthodox found God through suffering. About 85% spent most of the 1900’s under Communism. When some Russian Orthodox formed the Renewed Church, its own State Church persecuted it. The Romanian Orthodox have long had a 300.000 member evangelical wing — the Army of the Lord. Watch for Catholics and Orthodox who already know Jesus Christ, affirm their faith, welcome them into fellowship and help them grow. 2. Traditional Catholics. They accept the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, before Vatican II, as described. They went to Catholic schools. Some are devoted to the Church and are punctilious in their religious performance — mass, confession, rosaries, Lent, etc. But the majority, in spite of their conservative beliefs, does not practice their faith with any regularity. Their religious practice varies from country to country. Often religious holidays are celebrated with processions, and large statues. People go for healing to miracle shrines. Individuals may burn votive candles, wear charms, and kiss the figures in shrines. Deep dents are worn into marble statues from the kisses of millions. Each statue of Mary has different powers — proving the power is thought to reside in the image, not in her. The clergy do not seem to discourage the idolatry and superstition. The Church promotes some. A display case in a Spanish church contains a large bird feather, labeled “From the wings of the Archangel Gabriel”! But the priest in Rome, who showed us the only genuine footprint of the Apostle Peter, laughingly said there were others at other tourist spots. I attended Christmas Mass at the beautiful St. Mary’s Cathedral in Krakow, Poland, the most Catholic of all countries. Cardinal Karol Wojtyla officiated, before he became Pope John Paul II. His pleasant personality and his terminology have caused many to hope he might be more evangelical than his predecessors. But his theology is traditional, focused on Mary. Kathy, an American Catholic and a graduate of Smith College, found the Lord in Europe and came to live with me in Spain. She wrote regularly to the priest who had been her spiritual adviser since childhood. He wrote that in his long years of priesthood he had never experienced God as she had. He came to Spain to visit. He explained that observation of the Church’s sacraments is enough for salvation — baptism, confession and penance, the mass and the Eucharist. But after considerable conversation, he asked me, ‘Do you really believe that no one will be saved without this personal relationship?” I answered, “If the Creator, the Lord of the universe, offers us the honor of his friendship, his daily presence with us, isn’t it an insult to reject it?’ He said, “Stated that way, yes.” A few hours later he said, “I cannot accept what you say. It would mean that the Church is deceiving millions of people around the world, and has deceived many millions more through the centuries. It cannot be true.” But he left the priesthood a short time later. 3. Traditional Orthodox. They hold to the beliefs and practices as described, and are more likely to attend services. The ‘riddle” of Orthodoxy results from the fact that each Church — Greek, Russian, Armenian, Egyptian Coptic, Georgian, etc. — developed differently, and all suffered prolonged Islamic influence. There was a split into Modernizers and Old Believers. Many sects have formed — some with up to a million members. There are remnants of the Nestorian and Monophysite churches that split off in the 5th and 6th centuries — in Syria, Armenia, Egypt, Ethiopia, India. and in other lands to which they migrated. Orthodoxy is permeated with idolatry and superstition, from sacred icons to amulets to ward off evil spirits. You need to learn what each Orthodox seeker believes. Unfortunately, the eastern Churches never had the stimulus of a Reformation. Help seekers study the narratives about Jesus. Watch for believers. 4. Syncretistic Catholics and Orthodox. The Churches, syncretistic in their missionary methods, integrated local idolatry, rather then eradicating it. So the Catholic Church in Guatemala, for example, incorporates ancient Mayan components. In Haiti in 1991, Priest-President, Aristide, rededicated his country to Voodooism. African spiritism and witchcraft permeate traditional Brazilian Catholicism — macumba and umbanda rites, chickens sacrificed on beaches and street intersections. The goddess Yemenja is identified with the Virgin Mary, and Oxala, with God the Father. The educated classes practice stances and other more sophisticated forms. They conduct healing services. Sixty percent of Brazil’s Catholics are involved in occult practices. Catholics in Japan continue ancestor worship. In most countries you have to deal with more than one layer of religion. Discover what each individual believes. 5. Anticlerical Catholics and Orthodox. In Latin America the clergy were despised for collaborating with the military and the wealthy landowners to keep the dictators in power … In Spain, Franco won the Civil War only by enlisting Vatican help — in exchange for relinquishing Spanish sovereignty. Franco used his Spanish prisoners as slave labor, to carve from solid rock, a huge mausoleum in his own honor. It left half the country bitter … In Barcelona, a priest who attended our Bible studies, invited me to give a Gospel message in his parish church (they passed out 2000 fliers), because young people would not listen to a priest or a nun … A missionary wrote from Catholic Austria that the people are not willing to talk with you if they discover you are a religious professional. Many Orthodox are turned off to their hierarchies, because they collaborated with the Communists, and persecuted their own people. The majority of the clergy are poor and have only a sixth grade education. But many peasants give unquestioning obedience. 6. Nominal or Cultural Catholics and Orthodox. The majority you will meet are in this category. They were baptized as babies, and may have been confirmed. Social or family pressure may assure church attendance at Easter or Christmas, a Church wedding and last rites. But they have only limited knowledge of doctrine, and probably disagree with Church teaching on birth control, divorce, the role of women, marriage of clergy, and maybe abortion. Most are secularized. Some Catholics and Orthodox are atheists. God let me miss a train in Barcelona in order to get me onto another one. In our compartment a young Spanish policeman, Roberto, was arguing with an older Italian man, saying that since neither believed, their religious pretense was hypocritical. The older man argued that you had to keep up appearances for the sake of family. Several times Roberto asked my opinion on a point. I mainly listened. Then I found my chance to say I was no authority on religion, but that he might want to see what Jesus had said. For an hour, Roberto sat next to me seeking answers in my New Testament. (The Italian man listened intently behind his newspaper.) Before Roberto disembarked, I gave him my New Testament. He gave me a crucifix — which I still have. But why does an atheist carry a crucifix? For luck? He invited Jesus Christ into his life on one of his subsequent visits. He had hardly slept the night after our train conversation. God’s Word is powerful! 7. Post-Vatican new Catholics. They accept new interpretations of traditional beliefs, but are often confused because changes range from minor to radical, depending partly on local priests, who now preach in the vernacular, instead of celebrating Mass in Latin Because the Church has always been so authoritarian, many Catholics find current changes threatening. Radical new catechisms have been written, A cab driver in Spain told me angrily that the Vatican had shaken the faith of his devout parents, when it decanonized St. George, on whom they had always relied — and 200 other saints — declaring they had never existed! They felt betrayed by the Pope. But the confusion makes these Catholics easier to win. 8. Charismatic Catholics and Orthodox. Emphasis on experience bypasses perplexing and divisive doctrine. It is a new authority, authenticating doctrine. But determine if tongues has brought them to a devotion to Jesus Christ, or intensified devotion to Mary, the mass, etc. That is the test, since the Spirit of truth leads people to truth. (See Jn.14:15-17,26; 15:26-27; 16:12-13). About two-thirds of the charismatics drop out after a short time. Recognize a craving for spiritual reality and lead them to the Lord. Watch for believers. 9. Liberation Theology Catholics and Orthodox. They are highly politicized, and concerned for social, economic and political justice, mainly in the two-thirds world. Some Protestants promulgate the same ideas. Even some Evangelicals hold the more moderate of about seven variations on this theology. But mainly, Liberation Theology is thinly veiled Marxism. It is materialistic, equating spiritual salvation with economic and social well-being. They say God is at work wherever social and political change occurs (if it is leftist!), so participation in rebel groups is justified. (This theology explains Protestant funding of radical groups by mainline denominational leaders, who are often at odds with their grass roots constituencies.) This theology is losing popularity since the demise of Communism, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the worldwide shift to free market economics. They call this period a temporary detour. Show seekers that Jesus rejected the role of political liberator, but cares deeply about people’s problems. It is easier to change societies once you have changed hearts. 10. New Age Catholics and Orthodox. Especially in Europe and Latin America, many are turning to New Age thinking, to relative truth, to transcendental meditation, to reincarnation, to pre-Christian paganism, to the occult. Astrology and horoscopes have long been popular. None of this can satisfy. 11. Universalist Catholics. They say everyone in the world is already a Christian, although they do not know it. Truth, if it exists, lies in a synthesis of religions. I do not argue much about world religions. All are false; all contain truth. The people who believe Jesus death saves everyone, must learn it applies only to those who receive him on his terms. See John 1:10-12; 8:24; Luke 14:25-35, etc. Those who believe that Jesus’ death is symbolical or meaningless, need to see him in action in die New Testament narratives, and then decide if he is a liar, a lunatic or the Lord of the Universe. He cannot be mere man. No human being could have invented him! 3. Basic Approach To Catholic And Orthodox SeekersYou approach them as you would any other seekers, because all are dead in sin, and only Jesus Christ can make them alive. There is only one way of salvation (Jn.14:6, Ac.4:12). But fish — don’t hunt. Fishing evangelism frees you from the fear of intruding on people’s privacy, and gives you joy in sharing the Good News. It is especially effective with people you see regularly at work (or on campus), and in spiritually hostile countries, where more oven evangelism can result in loss of job, prison or expulsion from the country. You fish out seekers, without arousing the attention or antagonism of others. Bait is your personal integrity, quality work, and caring relationships, supplemented with appropriate words about God, tactfully inserted into secular conversation. If there is no nibble, you try another kind of bait. There is a right kind for every fish. You move people to ask the questions you long to answer. Their questions will reveal if they are Catholic or Orthodox, and what kind. You must be ready to answer their questions, but do so as a learner, not an authority. You can say, “Let me think about this until tomorrow, so I can organize my thoughts and give you a clear answer.” Seekers’ questions allow them to pace the initial conversations, as they are ready. We often say too much too soon. Their questions reveal what truths they understand, which ones they lack or confuse, their felt needs, their hang-ups and obstacles to faith — what God’s Spirit has already been doing with them. It shows us exactly what to say and how to pray. At their third or fourth question I like to say, “I’m still learning about my faith, but would you like to see what Jesus Christ said about this?” Or St. Peter or St. Paul? Then I lead a five-minute Bible study on a few relevant verses. This arouses more questions and leads to subsequent studies. So lifestyle evangelism permits fishing evangelism, which leads to more intensive friendship evangelism and evangelistic Bible studies. Space does not permit me to repeat my suggestions for fishing evangelism, which are available from Global Opportunities. I add these points to that basic material. They are lessons learned in the U.S., and during my twenty-one years of living and working and doing student evangelism in Peru, Brazil, Portugal, Spain and Austria, with short stints in Poland, and other Catholic countries. I hope they will help. 4. Recommendations For EvangelismMost of my suggestions for Catholics are applicable also to the Orthodox. They are not in an exact order, but are roughly grouped into: the seeker and church relationships, doctrine, evangelistic Bible study, bringing seekers to faith and care of new believers. 1. Do not view the Catholic or the Orthodox as the enemy. Persecution can lead to this attitude. The seekers are victims. Even the clergy are victims! In a hostile environment, Paul wrote Timothy not to be quarrelsome, but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness, so God might grant them repentance to find the truth, and escape from the snare of the devil, who had captured them to do his will. See 2 Tim.3:24-26. 2. Do not try to persuade them to change religions. Turn them into evangelical Catholics and Orthodox. In Spain, proselytizing was against the law. I found it liberating not to proselytize, but to help Catholic seekers become Catholic children of God! This goal affected how I worked with seekers. 3. Do not identify conversion with changing their religion. People, disillusioned with their religion, can switch to Protestantism, without an experience with God. Twice Spain’s dictatorships were interrupted by five-year republics and thousands of Catholics turned Protestant. But when persecution resumed, many defected. Becoming Protestant had been a protest against Catholicism. 4. Do not make renunciation of their religion a condition of conversion. I have participated on panels where missionaries insisted Catholics must renounce the Pope and the Virgin Mary before inviting Jesus Christ. But seekers do not yet have the Holy Spirit to give them discernment. They need only believe that Jesus died for them, in their place, to pay for their sins, and that they must invite him in. Once his Spirit dwells in them, he will teach and guide them. 5. Do not pressure your friends to leave their Church after their commitment to Jesus Christ. How can God strengthen the renewal movements if we persuade all the converts to leave? I have never felt free to do so, because I do not know God’s intention for them. But I feel more satisfied when they leave. We nurtured converts in our student fellowships, leaving it to the Holy Spirit to guide them. Several had a great desire to bring the Gospel into their Church. In Portugal, engineering student, Carlos Jose, had a Bible study going in his parish church, with more young people than the priest had ever seen there. The priest was delighted. Until he listened in, and put a stop to it. At that point, Carlos Jose left the Church. 6. Insist that every believer must be part of a Christian fellowship. Hebrews 10:24-25 says this is not optional for Christians. Catholics interpret this passage to mean you dare not leave the Catholic Church. Show them it means believers must always be in a group where there is Bible study, mutual exhortation, encouragement and prayer. Often converts attend both Catholic and evangelical churches. I remember when Marisa made a fruitless search for a Hebrews 10 Catholic group in Barcelona. One day she said, “I just realized I am not really Catholic anymore. Where I feel at home is in the evangelical church on Calle Verde.” (The pastor of this church, Rev. Jose Maria Martinez, was an unusually gifted Bible teacher.) 7. Think before taking seekers to your church as part of your evangelism. Do it only if your church is sensitive to Catholic (or Orthodox) feelings and the seekers will not suspect you of proselytizing. I did not take them to evangelistic services, because these seemed too confrontational for my friends, but maybe right for people already turned off to Catholicism. But when Roberto asked if he could visit my church, I took him to a Sunday morning communion service. He was deeply impressed by the spiritual warmth and authenticity, and die confession of sin. He saw the difference between the Catholic Eucharist and our Lord’s Supper. 8. Know that Catholicism and Orthodoxy have a strong emotional hold on their people. Even when they want to leave their Church because they no longer agree with it’s teaching, they find it difficult. Priests and nuns instill fear in childhood. The rituals satisfy a need, and are integrated into family and social life. In Catholic and Orthodox countries, your religion coincides with your nationality, so your identity is threatened and you feel disloyal. Before Roberto came to my church, he said, “But they are all foreigners, aren’t they?” Spaniards could not be protestantes! I told him they were Catalan Spaniards, like himself — that some services were in the Catalan language. (A survey showed only 15% of Barcelona students had ever met someone they knew was not Catholic.) Roberto’s young wife was visibly afraid on her first visit to my apartment, because the village nuns had depicted Protestants as dangerous. Conversion can cause great distress in the family. It can jeopardize a person’s chance to study or find employment. 9. Use the diagram of the four circles. It makes the seekers more open to what you say. It takes away the feeling that they are betraying their church. What matters is that people from all three circles should be in the smaller overlapping circle, the true family of God. Show that we in the center have much more in common with each other from different communions, than we do with other people in our own larger circles. 10. Do not argue over Catholic or Orthodox doctrine. Ignore the differences. Give truth, and more truth, and watch it replace the error. Roberto came soon after his conversion, to say: “I have never asked — What do you think about the Eucharist and about praying to the Virgin Mary?” When I returned from the kitchen with coffee, he said, “Of course, with Jesus in my heart, I don’t need to receive him at mass, and since I can talk with him whenever I wish, I don’t need the Virgin Mary.” Truth had replaced error. We talked about how these ideas crept into Catholicism. I am reminded of C.S. Lewis, who tactfully wrote to a Catholic couple he had just won to the Lord, “If you don’t have a great deal of extra time for praying, it is faster to pray directly to the Almighty!” 11. When they ask about controversial points, answer with Scripture. Otherwise they say, “That’s your opinion because you were brought up Protestant.” Verna (of O.M.) and I went to help a newly arrived Argentine couple begin a church in Santiago de Compostela, a fascinating university town with a monumental old cathedral. It was also the market town for this region, and we were entertained by men and women walking with squealing pigs under each arm and twenty piglets tumbling out of the baggage compartment of a commercial bus! Verna and I spent two days on campus and in coffee shops, engaging medical students in conversation. We invited them to a Bible study the second evening at the couple’s home. More than twenty came. I led a study of John three, about Nicodemus and Jesus’ insistence on new birth. Only Pedro, a fifth year medical student, was well informed on his faith. He begged for another study to prove Peter was the first Pope. The next evening a smaller group came to study Matthew 16:13-23 — slowly and deliberately, for several hours. I will describe under the next point what happened. 12. In Bible study, show them how we use the Bible to interpret itself. Catholics say we make it mean whatever we please. Usually we restrict the use of cross-references, because they can detract from the main passage, and are hard for non-believers to follow. But we should use them with Catholics. Jesus said, “Peter (Petros), you are the rock (petra), on which I will build my church.” (Evangelicals have often twisted Jesus’ play on words so it would not seem to support Peter’s primacy.) Jesus’ fanatically monotheistic disciples quickly believed he was Messiah, but not that he was God. Jewish leaders would have stoned them for suggesting such a thing. For Jews, Son of God, was a near synonym for Messiah, King of Israel or Son of Man, Jesus’ favorite term. But no one would have guessed Messiah was real God! Except Peter. He was the first one to dare to say the awesome words aloud, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God!” That was the God of the Old Testament — the God who intervenes in nature and in history! You probably could have heard a pin drop. Until Jesus says, “You are right, Peter.” We helped Pedro to see that Peter was the foundation rock of God’s New Testament people in the same way Abraham had been the rock of God’s Old Testament people (Is.51:1-2). He was the first to make a confession of faith — the first of multitudes who would believe. Peter was first in time, not in authority. What were the keys? Isaiah 22:22 shows what the keys of a kingdom were literally. What they were spiritually is shown by Jesus’ words in Lk. 11:52 and Mt. 23:13. The scribes had the authority to define doctrine and practice, to bind and loose, but they misused it, not entering the kingdom themselves, nor letting anyone else enter. Now Jesus, God and King, takes this authority from them and entrusts it to Peter. In Mt. 16 only Peter made a confession of faith. But in Mt. 18, Jesus can entrust the same keys to all Twelve. The contexts show the keys were Gospel preaching, prayer and church discipline. In Acts 2 we saw Peter use the keys to open God’s kingdom to Jews — when 3000 came in! In Acts 8 we saw Peter (and John) open the doors to Philip’s seekers among the Samaritans. In Acts 10-11, we saw Peter open the door to the Gentiles in die extended household of the Roman centurion. Cornelius. It was always Peter’s preaching of the Gospel. In Acts 14:27, Paul says God used his preaching to “open a door of faith to the Gentiles” in the region of Galatia. Then we asked, How did the apostles understand Jesus’ words to Peter’? Who was the foundation rock of the church? John says it was all of the apostles (Rev.21:14). Paul says it was the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone (Eph.2:19-21; 1 Cor.3:11). But what does Peter say? This was his chance to remind everyone of his primacy. He says the foundation rock is Jesus Christ (1 Pet.2:4-8). Peter was not infallible. Moments after Jesus commends Peter, he has to rebuke him for speaking presumptuously (Mt.16:22). In Mt. 26:69-75, Peter denies Jesus three times, at a critical moment. In Gal.2:11-14, Paul says he publicly charged Peter with hypocrisy in a meeting of the church in Antioch. Peter apologized, and in the first Church Council at Jerusalem, he sided with Paul on that issue. It was not Peter, but James, who pastored the Mother Church at Jerusalem (Acts 15). Peter was never bishop of Rome. There were three prerequisites for apostles: 1) They must have traveled with Jesus, or been personally commissioned by him after his resurrection (Ac.1:21-22; 1 Cor.15:4-10). So Paul three times relates his personal encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road. He seems to say he was the last of the original apostles. (No Pope could meet this first test.) 2) They must believe and teach the apostolic doctrine (2 Thes.2:15; 3:6). 3) Their ministry must be confirmed by signs of God’s power (2 Cor.12:11-12; Mk.16:20). The apostles’ authority resided, not in their persons, but in themselves in virtue of their faith, as vehicles of God’s truth. If an apostle departed from the authorized teachings, he would cease to be an apostle. Worse, he would be accursed (Gal.1:9; 2:11-14; 2 Thes.2:15). The only ‘apostolic succession” is the transmission of the apostolic message — incumbent on every Christian. Paul writes to Timothy: “What you have heard from me before many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim.2:2). The chain was from eyewitnesses to Paul to Timothy to his converts to their converts. Through all generations, to the ends of the earth! In Mt. 16:18 Jesus does not say that his church will somehow survive, although battered and bruised. Rather, it is his church which is on the offensive, and no stronghold of the Enemy can ultimately survive its steady onslaught! Pedro sadly agreed that Matthew 16 contains no support for a pope nor for apostolic succession. He planned to confront his spiritual adviser. Atheist Ramón asked to take a New Testament and Rosa received Jesus Christ. 13. Bible study discussions are essential for evangelizing Catholic and Orthodox seekers. They believe the Bible, so inductive study is the best, most patient way to supply and clarify concepts, and to correct their erroneous stereotypes of Jesus. They are usually more convinced by the Bible than by Church teaching. But don’t mainly refute Catholic doctrine. 14. Seek common ground rather than differences. We have so much in common — a whole Bible full of truth! People who would not come to an evangelical church often enjoy studying with peers in a non-threatening, non-religious setting. For an evangelistic Christmas conference in Rio de Janeiro, we studied all the passages on the Virgin Mary, not for controversy, but for their evangelistic content. 15. Focus most of your Bible studies on the person of Jesus Christ. He is the shortcut in all evangelism because he is the way to the Father (Jn.14:6) — the only way (Ac.4:12). The Gospels are the evangelistic literature of the Bible. Help participants to interact vicariously with Jesus through the characters in the narratives. Jesus will draw them to himself through these videos, in the same way he did when present in person. Because, Jesus is just as present in your Bible study group as he was in the original incident! On a beautiful Spanish beach, GBU students were leading small groups on John 4. A French student, Odette, left her group and came running to me. She said. “Please help me invite Jesus into my life!” She said she had lived near a military base in France, and started sleeping around with the men, until she was disgusted with herself She came to Valencia to study, in order to begin a new life. “But,” she said, “I brought myself with me, and it’s the same old story.” She realized through Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan adulteress, that she also had been looking to sex to satisfy what was really a deep spiritual hunger, and that Jesus would forgive and cleanse her and give her power for a new life. And he did. 16. Concede minor differences in Bible study. Use a cross-reference if it can quickly resolve the issue. If it is not a major point, summarize two views and let it go. For example, Protestants accept the references to Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Catholics have traditionally said they were cousins. The Church’s unbiblical view of sex makes it essential that Mary be a perpetual virgin. But do not challenge this issue. Once they understand salvation through Jesus Christ alone, they will see Mary as the beautiful, godly woman the Bible depicts, who acknowledged her own need of a Savior (Lk.2:46-49). 17. Be aware that the seekers use many of the same words we do but with different meaning. Bible study discussions reveal these differences and provide a chance to clarify them. In an evangelistic meeting in Latin America, half the people may raise their hands to receive Jesus. They have received him often in the Eucharist, and an extra time cannot hurt. To sign a decision card means nothing! Help them see that the invitation we mean is done only once and alters them forever. To us evangelism means bringing people to God; to the Pope it means bringing them to the Church. 18. If the seekers agree with everything in the Bible studies, they are probably reading their own meanings into the terms. When they understand the challenge of the Gospel and the cost of discipleship, they are likely to begin arguing. They may quit coming. Don’t give up on them at this critical moment. Pray harder. Spend time with them as a friend. Exert no pressure, but persuade gently. Unconditionally accept them. Love them into the kingdom. 19. Don’t challenge seekers who say they have always loved God. Even if you doubt that they are convinced Christians. It can be damaging. But take advantage of their claim. When Peruvian student, Estela, shared her problems, I said, “Let’s pray.” That is what real Christians do! She was surprised. But I prayed, and she was touched. Another day I said, “We who believe in Jesus Christ, need to learn more about our faith, Let’s do a Bible study.” Shocked, she said, “You take your religion more seriously than I do mine.” But she agreed. We studied Romans 8, on our life in Christ and the marks of a Christian. When we finished, Estela said quietly, “If this is what true Christians are, then I am not one — but I would like to be.” I wish I had started Estela out more gently — maybe on the story of Jesus and the forgiven woman in the house of self-righteous Simon, in Luke 7:35-50. 20. Try to discern in which direction devout seekers are going. If their sin and guilt causes them to flee from God, like most people, they will need a crisis conversion — to stop, turn around, and come to the Lord. But some may have been moving toward God since childhood, but lack information for a new birth. Try to disciple them into the kingdom with Bible study. A devout young woman had come to several Bible studies in Barcelona, when I noticed a new light in her eyes and a hunger for God’s Word, and I suspected she had found God. A few days later she said, “I don’t think I ever really found God until the day we studied about Zacchaeus.” 21. Take seekers to appropriate evangelical group activities. One believer cannot frilly demonstrate the Christian life, Jesus prayed that believers would love each other, since that would convince outsiders of the truth of the Gospel (Jn.13:33-35; 17:18-26). Dr. Francis Schaeffer said Christian fellowship and hove is “the final apologetic” for our faith, because the devil cannot counterfeit it, and people crave it. Include seekers in some of your group study, work and play activities. 22. Use carefully chosen Christian literature, especially, small books, like Stott’s Basic Christianity, which is in several languages, and smaller booklets like J.N.D. Anderson’s Evidences for the Resurrection. But beware of books and tracts prepared for Catholics or Orthodox. Read them to see if they are appropriate for your friends. Some anti-Catholic material is offensive, focusing on the sexual indiscretions of priests. The popular Chick anti-Catholic cartoon series is shameful. 23. Guard against legalism but emphasize Christian obedience. Because Catholicism teaches that you earn salvation through good works, we must emphasize that salvation comes by God’s grace, through faith. “How can anyone expect to buy what it cost God his own Son to provide for us?” (See 1 Pet.1:18-19; Rom.6:23). But Catholics charge that Protestants think good conduct and good works do not matter — only faith. James said faith without works is dead (Jam.2:14-26). Paul says salvation by grace through faith, does not make good works unnecessary, but enables us do the right ones in a way that pleases God (Eph.2:8-10; Rom.8:7-10). Jesus said those who love him will do his will (Jn.14:21, 23; Lk.6:46). 24. Reject the idea of earning merit and salvation through suffering. You work off your purgatory. The Church implied Rose Kennedy went straight to heaven because her two sons were assassinated. Mother Theresa believes the poor and dying are saved, because they suffer. So, touching them is touching Jesus. It is a misinterpretation of Scripture. I hope she understands salvation through grace, by faith. Her loving care for the poor and dying, in the name of Christ, reflects positively on Christians everywhere, especially in India. 25. Help them invite Jesus Christ when they are ready. If you meet someone who already knows the Lord, involve him in your group fellowship. Other seekers’ questions and answers will show when they are ready. You may ask the crucial question, “What do you think is the main reason Jesus died?” If the answer is that he died to pay for our sins, ask if they have thanked him and invited him into their lives. If so, ask if they mind telling you about it. Then pray together. Otherwise explain how they can do it, using verses like Rev. 3:20-21. I don’t like to say a prayer for a seeker to repeat. He must find his own words. Then you pray asking the Lord to receive him. I don’t tell him that now he belongs to God. The Holy Spirit must give assurance. (A decision is not a new birth. Only the Lord knows the sincerity and the comprehension of the seeker.) But remind him the Lord always keeps his promises, regardless of our fluctuating feelings. Often Catholics do not want to make this commitment unless they are in a quiet place and in a mood of great reverence and feeling. I respect this, and tell them how they can receive the Lord on their own. But I ask them to tell me when they have done it. I want a chance to verify and affirm their experience. 26. Provide follow-up orientation on the Christian life. Often the new birth is not complete until some time during the follow-up activities. Think of new birth as a process, like physical birth. But treat them like believers. Include them in group activities. Teach them more about their new life in Christ, how to maintain fellowship with the Lord by confessing sin to him and receiving forgiveness, speaking to God through prayer, listening to his voice through his Word, pleasing him through obedience, service and witness. 27. Do not advise converts to immediately tell their families. It depends on family relationships. But parents are often offended. They perceive their son or daughter’s words as judgmental. It suggests the parents have let their child down in the most important area of life. It rebukes them for their inadequate religious performance. Or it rejects their religion outright. It can create a lifelong barrier between child and parent. The new convert does not yet know how to explain his new faith, If his conduct lapses, they may mock him. It is better to wait until family members notice a positive change in the convert, and ask him about it. Then he is not pushing his ideas upon them. He will have learned how to answer questions. It is good if he can honestly say to his parents, “I’m so thankful you brought me up Catholic. Otherwise, I might never have had this desire to find God.” He gives his parents partial credit. He should say he is still a beginner, just learning, and he hopes they will all be patient with him.” It creates a situation where the parents may well say, “Tell us about your wonderful new experience!” This is another reason for not persuading the person to leave the Catholic Church. It can cause animosity and disruption in the family and other relationships, at a very sensitive time. The question of church should come after some weeks — when the person is ready. In my experience, almost every convert later leaves the Church because of doctrine. But give them time. 28. Do not try to move new converts out of their natural circle of friends, coworkers or fellow students (unless they are into drugs or prostitution). Some Christians try to totally absorb converts, to cut them off from former bad influences. But converts are God’s new beachheads into enemy territory. This is when their testimony is strongest. Their friends need to see the difference in them, to hear their testimony, to come to their Bible study groups. It can lead to a chain reaction of conversions. The Apostle Paul says not to make unnecessary changes (1 Cor.7:16-24). 29. Give wise advice on the matter of baptism. Several Protestant denominations in Catholic and Orthodox countries do not re-baptize. Most evangelical churches insist on it, because biblical baptism has a quite different meaning. Allow a little time for die convert’s faith to be tested. Baptism often holds a strong attraction for Catholic and Orthodox converts. When Marisa learned the biblical meaning of baptism, she told me, “It is so beautiful — I can hardly wait!” She invited her whole family of nominal Catholics. But when medical student, Juan, told his mother he would be baptized, she became physically ill. She was a traditional Catholic who had not been practicing. She promised to attend mass regularly, if he would not leave. Out of respect, he waited, giving her time to learn about his new life and to agree to his baptism. But when I was training Spanish women to win their neighbors through Bible study, we worked on Luke 14:25-35. When Jesus said to “hate” our families, he meant that if a choice must be made, we must love him more. A dear, elderly woman said she found out that hating in this sense was a good way to love. When she was baptized her husband and grown sons mistreated her badly. But in the end, her strong conviction brought them all to the Lord. In conclusion, I hope that this brief introduction to fishing evangelism and these additional suggestions will help you to fish in Catholic and Orthodox waters!
— Ruth E. Siemens See also Fishing Evangelism, 14pp., and Investigative Bible Study Discussions, 11pp. ------------------------------------------------- Bibliography:H. M. Carson. Roman Catholicism Today, London: IVP. 1964 The author, who graduated from Trinity University in Dublin, Ireland. and was vicar of St. Paul’s church in Cambridge, helps us understand traditional Catholicism. Francis X. Connolly. Wisdom of the Saints, New York: Pocket Books, 1963. Brief biographies of 28 saints, with some of their writings. Wayne A. Detzler. The Changing Church of Europe, Grand Rapids, Ml: William B. Eerdmans. 1979. Has a section on Orthodoxy. Michael Green. Evangelism in the Early Church, Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1970. Patrick Johnstone. Operation World, Grand Rapids, Ml: Zondervan, 1993. Statistics on the status of Christianity in every country. Andrew J. Kirk. Theology Encounters Revolution, Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1980. A London and Cambridge graduate, he taught theology in Argentina for 10 years, and then became director of St. Paul’s Institute of Christian Mission in London. He writes about liberation theology in a broader historical perspective of theologies revolution. A. M. Renwick. The Story of the Church, London: IVF, 1968. John R. W. Stott. Basic Christianity, Grand Rapids, Ml: William B. Eerdmans, 1971. David Wells. Revolution in Rome, London: Tyndale Press, l973. A professor at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, he explains what happened at Vatican II and afterward.
Copyright 1995 by Ruth E. Siemens
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