Political Correctness Versus Evangelism in the Generation Z Era
The emergence of churchless believers and others who spy on online Christian gatherings as alternatives to attending fellowships in support the closing down of cathedrals, implies that the tools and methodologies of Christian evangelism must evolve, to present the unchanging truth of the grace of salvation on offer from Jesus Christ to our children that reach out to these populations. The Church must evolve universal methodologies that exploit digital technologies to establish communities fostered by love for the advancement of the gospel, and church growth.
The Traditions Don’t Work Anymore
The no-more-Bible-in-schools policy is working. The populations of active and nominal Christians continue to dwindle. This is evidence that traditional gospel marketing strategies continue to fail. Not even the papal election strategies have worked in reversing the trend. It is time to reengineer traditional evangelical strategies to shock social trends and fads while motivated men still occupy powerful evangelical offices.
Apostle James counsels, “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” — but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So, you see, faith by itself is not enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless” (James 5:15–17, NLT). Are Generation Z’ers and other children eating the food or picking at it? The answer is obvious. Our children are not interested in what they see on the table. They do not like to the accusations of hate levelled against Christianity by the gay and lesbian movements for example. When they care, the audience cannot identify with their answers or find their proposals difficult to correlate with the questions posed. What food are we giving to those people that we plan to show the way of salvation through love so that they can become candles to light the pathways for their friends?
Political correctness has failed. A situation where Christian parents, including pastors must live with a gay child just because evolving biological theories become confused with the demands of excellent parenting in the face of social pressures should be clarified. The number of suicides both from parents because they may have disappointed their children or God, and from kids depressed because of social profiling is over. This applies across the board to many social maladies, including drug use and abuse as well as atheism that Satan throws in the face of Christianity, in his guise to curtail the advance of evangelism while we struggle to demonstrate that meaning of love exemplified by Jesus.
Political correctness has failed, and it is time to share the truth of the scriptures in love. Not going to church or not forcing your children to follow you to church is not good Christian parenting. In fact, it is not showing love to those kids. There is a reason that society trusts your judgement as their parent. If you are proud to be named Joshua, and you named your son James, why do not you communicate your true heart to them instead of trying to be the cool dad. Teachers take control of their classrooms without the use of force. We can all learn from them. What food are you serving that child whose peers mock them for attending church? Tolerating churchless believers is not showing love, it is tolerating sin. The scriptural command is for us to nurture fellowship. Otherwise, Ananias and Sapphira did not deserve to die (Acts 5).
Thinking about Action
Embedded in our mandate is not just to ward off attacks from agents of Satan, it is also to deliver men from persecution by powers and principalities. We have the responsibility to wipe out tears by preaching the gospel to the poor, heal broken hearts, preach deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind and to set traumatized people free (Luke 4:17–18). Just like Samson’s parents were warned, it will be difficult for anyone challenged by such responsibility imposed by our mandate to take the leisure of enjoying a smoking party. Even so, we have a duty to device meaningful strategies to eliminate these excuses about invasion of personal freedoms.
Dr. Noah Omoluabi is publisher pentecostalsmagazine.com and The Evangel. He is also the author of Christianity 101 and Strolling With God.
