What Do We Believe? Evangelism and MissionsThis church has been dedicated to reaching America, from coast to coast, since 1951, more than half of a century, with the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "And the Gospel must first be published among all nations." The Gospel According to St. Mark 13:10.We believe that evangelism is the proclamation of God's judgment on sin and of the good news of God's grace in Jesus Christ. Evangelism is the response of Christians to persons in the bondage of evil and to the charge of Christ that His followers are to be His witnesses to all men. It declares that the Gospel and the Gospel alone is the power of God for salvation. The task of evangelism is primary in the mission of the church and is the vocation of every Christian. New Testament evangelism is evangelism by means of the gospel and by the power of the Spirit. It aims at the saving of the whole man. It confronts the lost with the cost of discipleship and the claims of The Lordship of Christ. It magnifies divine grace, voluntariness of faith, and reality in the experience of conversion. The constraining love of Christ, the doom of the unsaved and the strength of sin constitute a compelling urgency. Personal and mass evangelism, church-centered evangelism, the use of sound methods and every worthy medium, the witness of personal piety and a Christlike spirit, agonizing intercession for the mercy and power of God and utter dependence on the Holy Spirit point the way to the kind of evangelism desperately needed for this critical time. Evangelism, which is primary in the mission of the church and the vocation of every Christian, is the proclamation of God's judgment and grace in Jesus Christ and the call to accept and follow Him as Lord. Missions, as we use the term, is the extension of God's redemptive purpose through evangelism education, and Christian service beyond the local church. The lost masses of the world constitute a stirring challenge to Christian churches. Since Christians believe in the freedom and competence of each person to make his own decisions in matters of religion, it is our responsibility under God to see that each individual has the knowledge and opportunity to make the right decision. We are under the compulsion of the divine commission to proclaim the gospel to every person of every race and nation. The urgency of the present world situation, the aggressive appeal of competing faiths and ideologies, and our concern for the lost, cause us to dedicate our utmost in men and money to proclaim the redemption of Christ to the world. We must use every means at our disposal, including the modern media of mass communication, to give Christ to the world. We cannot rely exclusively on a small, specially trained and dedicated group of missionaries. Every Christian is a missionary, no matter where he lives or what his position or vocation may be. Our attitudes toward those of other nations, races and religions are part of our testimony for Christ. Our witness in every realm and relationship of life must lend credence to our proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Missions seek the extension of God's redemptive purpose in the entire world through evangelism and Christian service, and call for the utmost dedication on the part of Christians to this task.
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