I have been to a few evangelism crusades, and I always got the uncomfortable feeling that people were coerced into converting. These crusades reminded me a little bit of the “evangelism techniques” of the Middle Ages when Christian soldiers went on the Crusades to retake Jerusalem from the “heathens” and in the process “converted” many people at the point of a sword.
We don’t use swords today. We have other methods of persuasion.
Many of the techniques used in crusade evangelism were learned from the fields of marketing, sales, entertainment, and group psychology. The carefully crafted appeals to come forward at a crusade are often emotional in nature, based on success stories of people who converted, or tales of woe about people who did not. Sometimes these stories contain vivid portrayals of heaven and hell, where those who come forward can enjoy eternal bliss with God, while those who do not will suffer eternal torment in the flames and blackness of hell.
Barrel of Fluff or Barrel of Fire
I once saw a speaker at a teen rally have all the high school kids write their names on a piece of paper. Then, up on stage he had two barrels. In one, he put fluffy cotton, a Bible, and some gold (fake, of course). In the other barrel, he started a raging fire. Then he told the kids to come forward and drop their name in the barrel which signified where they wanted to go when they died…heaven (the fluffy barrel) or hell (the fire barrel). Not surprisingly, this speaker was able to go home to his church and report that every single teenager at this camp “made a decision for Christ.”
This example is a bit extreme, but most strategies at Evangelistic Crusades are only slightly more subtle. First, we are told that God loves us and really wants to spend eternity with us, but there is a big problem. We are sinners. So instead of living with us for eternity, God has to send us to hell where we will burn and suffer unimaginably for ever and ever. If that doesn’t sound like fun, then there is another option: you can receive Jesus Christ instead. Since He died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can now go back to spending eternity with God! So if that sounds better than burning forever in hell, then come on forward while the band plays some nice music, and a counselor will be more than happy to speak with you and lead you in a prayer.
You see? It is essentially the barrel of fluff and barrel of fire approach, but without the special effects.
Compel them to Come In
Those who use these techniques often feel justified in using them due in part to Christ’s command in Luke 14:23 where the Master tells His servant to go to the highways and byways and compel people to come in, that the house may be filled for the banquet which He has prepared. Crusade evangelists believe it is okay to use compelling and persuasive techniques to get people to come forward at an evangelistic event, if it results in the person saying a prayer or making a decision to follow Jesus.
In previous centuries, this same passage from Luke 14 was used by other theologians, pastors, and church leaders to “persuade” people to convert to Christianity at the point of a sword. “Convert or die” was not just a Muslim practice. This, in fact, was one of the arguments used during the actual Crusades of the Middle Ages where armies of Christian soldiers swept over the Middle East to retake Jerusalem for Jesus Christ.
While most Christians would not condone a “convert or die” message today, we nevertheless provide our full backing and support for the “turn or burn” message of much Crusade Evangelism. We don’t kill people, but the sinister message is still the same: If you don’t join us, you will suffer the consequences. This is the message of Crusade evangelism, whether we are talking about the Crusades of the Middle Ages or the Crusades of the Modern Ages.
Crusades were not helpful then, and they are not helpful now. Though in the Middle Ages, the Crusades coerced people into becoming Christians with sword point and steel, today we coerce people with Powerpoint and emotional appeal. Coercion is still coercion, not matter what kind of crusade we undertake.
Jeremy I hear what you are saying but I feel in your desire to shield us fromthe evangelists you maybe tossing out the baby with the dirty bathwater. We are all emotional, we are made that way and it’s good. I also believe we can’t be seduced long term. I also believe we want to be seduced, convinced into buying something we don’t really need. I don’t believe anyone can be converted by man but they can be convicted by God, that may happen at a Benny Hin event or while your having a coffee with your not yet believing friend, it’s His Holy Spirit that does that.
I have always thought the parrabell of the feast was to do with the Church of believers being less committed than they should, and a warning that all those that say Lord Lord may not necessarily enter into His Rest. The ones on the highways and byways may be those we the Church see as unworthy and have found it too much like hard work to reach. Jesus died that ALL might be saved and without these evangelists as bad as they might be they may not get the chance to enter into His Rest. Remember God used a Donkey to evangelise to a prophet. No matter how much you may see evangelists as braying Donkeys God can and does use them for His Glory and for the bringing in of His Kingdom.
Remember Simon the magician who saw what miracles the disciples were doing, also started using the name of Jesus as part of his stock and trade, Jesus said “let it be”.
God judges not us.
Clive
Sure, God can use them, and does. I agree completely. I just hope people will consider alternative forms of “evangelism” before thinking, “Well, I really want to reach my neighbor for Christ, but I better wait until that crusade next year when the evangelist comes to town.”
What do you think about Jesus’ approach in these passages?
Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. He answered them, “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered these things? No, I tell you! But unless you repent, you will all perish as well! Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you! But unless you repent you will all perish as well!” – Luke 13:1-5
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell. – Matthew 18:8-9
I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do. But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! – Luke 12:4-5
I haven’t written on all of those yet, but here is a post on Luke 12:4-5 – https://redeeminggod.com/theological-shibboleth/
I became a Christian at an evangelistic pop concert in 1981. I had no Christian family members and no Christian friends. I had no idea why Christ had died. The presentation of the gospel caused me to physically shake when a musician preached for 5 minutes. He told me I was a sinner and that Jesus died for me. I was a very faithful leaflet evangelist for 30 years because I feel it can reach people who could not be reached in any other way. Crusade evangelism is like long wave radio – it reaches people who are too remote to be reached by anything else.