Green, Evangelism Through the Local Church

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Michael Green, Evangelism Through the Local Church. Hodder and Stoughton, 2001.

Referenced in: Guides to the Practice of Evangelism – Effective Evangelistic Churches

LifeandLeadership.com Summary

This is an older volume from the same author as the modern classic, Evangelism in the Early Church. It is an exhaustive, encyclopedic volume on most methods individuals and local churches use to evangelize. Interested readers will probably have to find a used copy, but I would suggest perusing it in a library to see if there are sections you find helpful enough that you need to own it.

On the surface it might seem this text is similar to other evangelism encyclopedias such as Dawson’s Complete Evangelism Guidebook or Early and Wheeler’s Evangelism Is. There are significant differences, however. Green has large sections on biblical foundations, somewhat reflective of his hard to find earlier volume, I Believe in Evangelism. It also looks at the history of evangelism from the early church until today, similar to his classic, Evangelism in the Early Church. Those who have read his other works appreciatively will still find enough additional material to deserve a thorough consult. Beyond this, his advice is similar to Dawson and Early/Wheeler covering topics as wide-reaching as apologetics and evangelism in the highly secular arena, as well as detailed appendices on how to start small groups, drama, sports evangelism, etc. The difference is Green’s experienced wisdom and seasoned biblical scholarship.

Here are a few other features of Green’s text:

A thorough discussion of the holistic ministry of Jesus and his varied approaches to people based on their needs.
Helpful definitions of evangelism. Here he comments on some of the common definitions such as Spurgeon’s “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread,” as well as others.
Reasons for evangelism, covering both the deeper theological motivations and the practical reasons people either engage or refrain.
How to uphold the orthodox teachings of Christianity as one evangelizes in a pluralistic era.
How to defend the faith with those who have varying levels of rejection, resistance, and doubt.
Methods that may be used by individuals and groups, including missions, discovery groups, inquiry groups, etc.

Most will find Green to be fairly balanced. For example, on the relationship between evangelism and social action, he says of Jesus, “His social concern and His spiritual concern went hand in hand. His presence embodying the kingdom of God was matched by His words explaining the kingdom.” (5)

I have Green in my library. You may feel like me that some of the sections on methods are better addressed by more recent authors. Yet few if any are able to integrate seasoned theological insight into the discussion as well as Green.

Those who enjoy Green’s work on the subject of evangelism may also appreciate related volumes:

From the Publisher

Michael Green draws from a lifetime’s experience in this seminal work on the theory and practice of evangelism. The best means of communicating effectively the good news of Christ is through the local church, he contends. He seeks here to stimulate vision and remove the hang-ups which so often accompany the very mention of evangelism.

About the Author

Michael Green, one of the world’s leading evangelists, is currently Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, England. Prior to that he has been Principal of St. John’s College in Nottingham, Rector of St. Aldate’s Church in Oxford, Professor of Evangelism at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Senior Advisor of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on Evangelism. In addition to teaching at Wycliffe, he maintains a world-wide speaking and writing ministry.

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