Evangelism: Ministry vs. Marketing

There are two competing models of evangelism. One is the marketing model, and the other is the ministry model. They are antithetical to each other. The marketing model treats the church as a business, with people as customers. People are the necessary component of their success. If church marketers want to grow their "business" (their church), they must attract more customers. So, they offer up a "product" that fits the desires of the customer. The customer is always right. The customer wants personal happiness, and so personal happiness must be offered up in a way that pleases the customers. We must keep 'em coming back for more. Fundamentally, this model of evangelism does not do evangelism for the benefit and good of the people, just like Wal-Mart does not offer low prices as a matter of selfless philanthropy. The marketing model promotes evangelism in pursuit of success in business. It is essentially selfish evangelism, evangelism as the necessary means for personal success. It is sanctified Amway, soap-peddling, hard-sell, close-the-deal sort of evangelism.

The ministry model of evangelism is completely different. This model promotes evangelism because the gospel is "good news" for those in need. The goal of ministry evangelism is to love people as Christ loved them. This means, then, that ministry evangelism will compel some and repel others. Love always tells people the truth because it is best for them, even if they do not want to hear it. Here, the customer is hardly ever right. Here unbelievers are challenged and confronted on every level of their life, and they called to become a part of this ministry to others, to lay down their life, take up their cross and follow Jesus. This sort of gospel requires that "the customer" surrender his temporary happiness in the pursuit of lasting joy. And the catch is that lasting joy only comes as a result of deep suffering. Your average, pursuit-of-happiness customer usually does not like that sort of thing, and the crowds walk slowly away.

Ministry model evangelism loves people and helps people with no strings attached. It feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, delivers the captive, visits the prisoner, prays for the sick, all while asking for nothing in return—not even a visit to church. There are no demands placed on this kind of evangelism. It simply meets the needs of people. Then, it preaches the gospel to those who will hear it, baptizes those who believe, and disciples those who continue in the faith. Certainly there will always be those who love only the fishes and the loaves, and Jesus soundly rebukes them for it. However, He does not stop healing their sick and feeding their hungry. He continues offering "no-strings attached evangelism." No doubt His preaching drives the crowds away, but still He ministers to them and says, "Suffer the little children to come." This is true ministry model evangelism, and we must imitate it.