Over the course of 50 years, Billy Graham may have helped 12 million people come to faith in Jesus and begin a life of discipleship to Him. That is a significant number, and I thank God for the work of Billy Graham (and other evangelists like him).
But have you ever stopped to think about the hundreds of millions of dollars that were spent for those 12 million converts? The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association currently spends about $100 million per year. I wonder if there might be a more effective way of spending hundreds of millions of dollars for evangelistic purposes than Evangelistic Crusades? For example, studies say that relationship evangelism is the most effective form of evangelism. What would have happened if hundreds of millions of dollars were spent training and supporting relationship evangelists?
Evangelism Math
The estimates for the number of evangelical Christians in the world range from 300 million to 700 million. Let’s just say that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association had decided to spend their money on relational evangelism training instead of crusades, and that in 50 years of operations, they trained only 1% of the lower estimate of 300 million Christians worldwide, or 3 million Christians. Studies report that people who are trained in relational evangelism see about one friend, coworker, neighbor, or family member become a follower of Jesus every year. But let’s err on the side of caution here as well, and say it is only one every four years.
Now, let’s take those 3 million Christians who have been trained in relational evangelism, and give them 50 years to develop relationships and help other people become followers of Jesus Christ. At an average rate of one person every four years, these 3 million Christians would see over 37 million people become followers of Jesus.
Even with all of the low estimates, this is three times the number of converts seen by Billy Graham!
It’s not about Numbers
I really dislike talking about numbers of converts this way, because evangelism is not about numbers. It’s about people. But the crusade evangelists are always talking about the numbers of people who have been reached through their ministries, and when the numbers are really crunched, it becomes clear that much like the street evangelist preaching through a bullhorn, crusade evangelists have chosen a relatively ineffective method of reaching people for Jesus Christ. In a culture infatuated with glamor, lights, shows, and crowds, crusade evangelism makes more headlines than it does disciples.
But aside from the numbers, crusade evangelism is damaging in other ways. We will begin to look at these after Christmas.
Great post, Jeremy. I also appreciate Billy Graham. Effective evangelism all comes down to simple duplication through relationships. If we all were to simply to pour our lives into one person each year (basic discipleship), then soon the one becomes two, the two becomes four, the four becomes eight, the eight becomes sixteen, etc, etc, etc.
I’ve often thought about that. It seems to make sense, but I wonder why we don’t do it? Yes, we’re all busy, but even in our busy lifestyles, we all have time for the things we deem most important. If that hockey game is important to you, you’ll find the three hours to watch the big game. If that lost soul is important to you, perhaps you’ll also find the time for relational evangelism. I can’t help but wonder if ultimately, it’s simply because we don’t want to. Maybe evangelism isn’t “really” that important to us after all. Maybe we’ve all become rather lethargic. (Yes, I too am guilty as charged). Hmm …
Will,
Excellent points. Yes, maybe we use “relationship evangelism” as an excuse to not actually do evangelism.
Here is what we are trying to do in our own lives: So you enjoy watching the Hockey Game? Great! Who else can you watch it with? As you watch the hockey game with others, relationships are developing.
Sam over at GraceGround as a great series on Getting to Know Your Neighbors that fits in with all of this.
You say Billy is spending $100 million per year now, and if we assume linear growth, Billy averaged $50 million per year for 50 years or somewhere around $2.5 billion over that time. How many starving children in Africa or Asia could have been saved from death by spending that money on something real (humans) rather than on something that may not exist (souls)?
Two hands working do more good than a million hands praying.
I disagree with that statement, “two hands working do more good than a million hands praying”. I am an African living in Africa and yes, there are many starving children, but am not sure what is needed is more handouts than the intervention of God that comes through the prayer of saints. If these many saints praying gave themselves fully to the purposes of God in their lives, non among them would lack. as for the poor, they’ll always be there and I’ve learned to do less of recommending what others should do, and more of doing my part, remembering that we’re not to judge others’ servants – before their master they stand or fall – we shall also each give an account for our lives.
Patrick,
Thank you for weighing in here. Yes, I think organizations in the west are seeing the damage that has been done to Africa and other places based on our “charity.”
As you point out, sometimes it is not about telling others what to do, but for each one of us to simply do our part.
Great reminder, thank you!
Harold,
I am not sure that the $50 million per year number is accurate, but regardless, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association does a lot of good with that money other than just hold crusades.
Especially now that Franklin Graham is kind of heading it up. He also leads Samaritan’s Purse which is one of the leading charitable organizations in the world.
Jeremy, I agree…I believe that most people reached (and we’re talking about a true, genuine confession) by street evangelism and other one-way forms of communication are good soil BECAUSE people in their lives have loved them and spoken to them about God already. If every relational evangelist severed all relationships and instead focused on street evangelism, the results would not be good. 🙂
Though, that being said, I do think there is a place for this kind of evangelism, it just shouldn’t be our focus. And while I know you’re not advocating this, it’s important to remember that relational evangelism is still ‘evangelism’ and can’t be separated from the gospel.
Brian,
Good point. Most of those who get saved at a crusade were brought because of an ongoing relationship with someone else. Truly, most of those crusade converts are actually relationship converts.
Ah Harold there’s the rub, prayer reaches everywhere and can go to places where man can not venture. We prayed for a change in the USSR for communism to destroy itself bloodlessly and for the Berlin wall to come down Let’s test prayer out. The old ruler of North Korea has died, we Christians have been praying for a change in the rule to allow people the freedom to choose how they live and to follow whatever belief the care to. Will you ask my God to interfere in NK politics for this to happen. I’m taking a chance, how about you. If you don’t pray it won’t happen. Clive
Prayer is another form of work, one in which the powers of Heaven are at our disposal.
See Work and Prayer by CS Lewis
Billy regards his own ministry as a failure. Add “relational” to Graham, and you will still sum: failure. Relational evangelism without the genuine Christ: failure.
He’s a high bar to demonstrate that you have brought the Evangel of Christ to anyone.
I have not heard this about Graham. Do you have a source to cite?