Effective Evangelism: Are We Fishing or Hunting?
By Rev. Marcellus A. Norris
Do you know anyone who cannot sit still? They always have to be doing something. Even when sitting, their motor is running.
The Apostle Paul was like that. He always had to be preaching, witnessing, discipling, or visiting. He could have settled down comfortably in the large church at Antioch but he didn’t. He did not as long as more people needed to be reached. He didn’t view the church as a parking lot but as a launching pad!
Where are we launching and how are we launching these days? The church has a prime opportunity during this pandemic to reach people all over this world. Technology has now become a welcome tool to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even with technology, there has to be a certain way in which we engage people to show them who we are and what we are offering to them.
It is possible, however, to be so zealous for winning people that we end up offending and losing them. Whether we know it or not, while we are trying to win people to Christ, we can find ourselves hunting people instead of fishing for people.
Hunting is defined as pursuing, chasing, and killing for sport or food. It also has been defined as searching determinedly for someone or something. The church can become so desperate to fill in numbers on an Annual Conference Report that we turn into salespersons looking for a commission check. While we want to be passionate about Jesus Christ and win souls, we must make sure that we have the right presentation.
The downfall of hunting is that it is aggressive and based on confrontation. It involves the attitude to go out and shoot. Hunting scares people away if you miss the shot. Hunting requires you to be a skilled shot to be successful.
In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” We are to be fishermen and not hunters!
Jesus chose fishing because it is gentler and based on attraction. Fishing gets people to nibble on the bait of the Word of God. Fishing allows you to try different lures like testimony, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing a listening ear, finding someone a job, skill training, and mentoring. Fishing gives you more than one chance to catch. The good news is that everyone is equipped to fish because anyone can put bait in the water.
Pandemic or not, we are called to be fishers of people. First, identify your fishing pond. Technology has expanded our immediate fishing pond as we are now able to share our story and the Gospel all over the world. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” We must fish among our immediate family, relatives, friends, and acquaintances.
Second, learn about the kind of fish in your pond. The church ought to know the needs of the people. We should know what people need in their lives so that we can be effective in their lives.
Finally, remember that fish get hungry at different times. Fishing is not on your timetable but when the fish are biting. You may have to get up early in the morning to lead prayer. You may have to sacrifice your normal dinner time to feed someone else. You may have to stay up late to share your testimony to uplift someone.
Are you hunting or fishing? The AME Church has a grand opportunity to win souls for Christ even during a pandemic. Let us not become hunters during this sensitive and crucial time but always be committed to fishing. We can and will save people if we are being effective by fishing and not hunting!
The Rev. Marcellus A. Norris is the pastor of St. Luke AME Church in Harlem, New York.
