The evangelist is listed, along with the foundational purpose of ministry, in Ephesians 4:11-12
The evangelist ministry distinctively emphasizes proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the good news of the kingdom of God, which is abundant life, healing, dominion over sin and the reigning of Christ in our hearts, along with many other blessings.
The gifting of the evangelist functions skillfully and abundantly in the critical phase of the process, when it is time to the bring the hungry to the harvest. The evangelist is equipped to reap the fruit ripened in the flow of the Spirit. This may be in a city, a church, a family or a single individual.
- The apostle Paul and his company arrived in Caesarea where, according to the scripture, they entered into the house of Philip the Evangelist. The ministry of Philip was easily identifiable to the church, apparently because he exhibited specific characteristics known to them as being those of an evangelist.
- Philip went to Samaria and began preaching Jesus Christ to that city. They found hungry hearts willing to hear the gospel. They experienced miracles and spiritual dominion; many were water baptized and there was great joy. The apostles came down and assisted with the initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost in that area. Revival continued greatly.
The modern evangelist will help equip the body in evangelisation. There are various methods of evangelism and different evangelists may function stronger in one area than another.
Prayer Evangelism is presented in Isaiah 66:8, “Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”
The Acts 1:8 Evangelistic Model
Acts 1:8, “and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Jerusalem – This Is Personal Evangelism – Acts 16:3, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” This evangelism happens closes to home within your circle of family and friends.
Judea – This Is Lifestyle Evangelism – 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” This evangelism happens along the way as you live life. The lifestyle evangelist will be ready at all times to share the gospel with those they come in contact with on a daily basis.
Samaria – This Is Saturation Evangelism – Mark 2:1, “And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.” We might also call this advertising evangelism. Today we are learning the benefits of marketing and promoting the gospel by every means available through both traditional means and new opportunities like internet and social media.
Uttermost Part – This Is Missions Evangelism – Matthew 24:14, “ And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Missionaries and opening new fields will always be the work of the church.
Diversities of operations among evangelists.
Exhortation Evangelist: Most of these evangelists will travel from church to church releasing a fresh word of faith and encouragement to the body of Christ. These individuals have the gift of exhortation and are used to stir up passion and enthusiasm. This evangelist will also bring encouragement to the pastor and his family.
Local Church Evangelist: These are individuals in the local church who are specifically fruitful in teaching Bible Studies, sharing the gospel and helping people through the conversion process. These evangelists may not travel outside the city where they live and attend church. This evangelist helps build the local church.
Prophetic Evangelist: These evangelists operate in the gift of prophecy and will bring a well-timed and strategic word to the church. The prophetic word will help align the church and release the church into a season of harvest by increasing burden and passion for the lost. This evangelist is often used to bring insight to the pastor during fellowship.
Teaching Evangelist: Some evangelists have a strong teaching gift. They are uniquely used to equip the church in methods of evangelism and train others in effective approaches to the harvest. This evangelist is extremely valuable assisting the church in sending labourers into the harvest.
End-Time Evangelist: God has given us ministers who strongly feel the urgency of the coming of the Lord. They clearly see the signs of the end-time and lift their voices to declare the Lord is coming soon. This particular method sounds the alarm and reaches into the harvest for souls who love and have known the Lord but are asleep at the midnight hour.
Crusade Evangelist: Something powerful and unique happens when a large number of churches and pastors come together for a crusade. This evangelistic outreach has the goal of people receiving the Holy Ghost. The crusade evangelists will possess unique giftings and have developed skills to approach a large crowd containing a large harvest. You would not need a commercial combine to reap the harvest of your backyard garden, but it functions best in large areas, as does the crusade evangelist.
International Evangelist: There are evangelists who have developed the ability to function effectively in a variety of cultures and unique customs. This ministry is the result of both gifting and broad exposure.