On August 31, the Billy Kim Hall at the Billy Graham Library will be filled with pastors and people who are passionate about gaining tools to be equipped to proclaim the Gospel. This event is inspired by the one mission that Billy Graham had –to make God known to all nations. The Billy Graham Library has continued the legacy of Rev. Graham in the mission of spreading the Gospel.

Dr. David Bruce, executive vice president of the Billy Graham Library and Archive and Research Center and Billy Graham’s longtime assistant will serve as one of the speakers for the training. Leading up to the event, Dr. Bruce kindly shared with us the importance of evangelism in this Q&A.

What is the importance of evangelism today?

Evangelism – whether personally sharing with a non-believer by word and life or proclamation evangelism in public preaching toward conversion – all are still necessary in the 21^st Century as a command of our Lord Jesus Christ to His Church. Each generation carries both the burden and pleasure of sharing the Good News with all people through the Holy Spirit’s power and presence while understanding that the worldwide commitment of the Great Commission has not changed. Our task remains the sharing of faith – the encouragement to believe – and the necessity of nurturing new believers as they mature in Christ.

Dr. David Bruce

How are the tools that BGEA uses today for evangelism connected to Billy Graham and the Crusades team?

Since Mr. Graham’s early days as a New Testament called Itinerant Evangelist – Mr. Graham, Franklin, Will, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have attempted to harness and utilize all forms of communication and media strategy to share the Good News. From radio to television to satellite relay in earlier days, to commanding the most current of media expressions: website and online presence; all forms of social media; and current far-reaching connections through Internet Evangelism, the ministry of evangelism continues. All approaches in ministry still conform to the need for the proclamation of the Gospel as BGEA’s mission statement reads: ‘…by every effective means available to us and by equipping the church and others to do the same.”

Dr. David Bruce

What tools will people leave with from the Evangelism Intensive to help them in evangelizing?

The key to this Evangelism Initiative is to underscore the theological basis for the evangelistic ministry of the Church – a mandate that has been at the heart of the New Testament Church since her inception, and the command of the Great Commission. Never more strategic than today, the Church must grapple with opposing cultural winds and pushback from secular, unbelieving elements of society while moving forward with an “Unchanging Gospel for a Changing World” – the theme of this intensive.  What we pray will occur with each attendee as for all of us – a new motivation to proclaim this Gospel in new and creative methods and approaches – while underscoring the great message and truth about Jesus that has never changed in the 2000-year history of the church.

Dr. David Bruce

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the foot of those who preach the good news!’” – Romans 10:14-15 ESV

We pray that you would consider joining us for the Evangelism Intensive on August 31. Learn more or register.