The Evangelistic Method in Belem, Brazil

Though most of my ministry in Brazil was spent in the central region of the country, I did spend a month and a half in the far north in 2000. American missionaries with the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ have been there for decades, and the fruit of their labor are tens of autonomous, fully self-governing and self-propagating Brazilian congregations. A mixture of methods have been used in and around the city of Belem over the decades, but one constant has been the use of prepared Bible studies.

The pre-made Bible studies are each on a distinct topic, beginning with "Who is Jesus?" and continuing through "Sin," "Repentance" and so forth. The studies consist of a series of verses with brief questions about what the "student" understood from each passage. There is room for discussion, but the "evangelist" (what they call anyone who evangelizes, not the term used for the Biblical role of evangelist) ultimately leads the discussion and truly teaches.

Breaking the Scripture narrative up into catechetical bits like this sort of rubs me the wrong way, but at the same time I have to say I like the method of doing evangelism as Bible study.

First, it is much easier to study the Bible with someone than do that vague thing we call "witnessing." For most evangelical churches, personal evangelism is a happenstance thing where we hope we have the right, witty words at the most opportune time to bring someone to Christ. Sometimes there's even a basic outline of key doctrines (remember the "Roman Road?"), but it is far too superficial to let someone really know what they are in for or what the Christian faith is really all about. Also, those short outlines quite often sound like high-pressure sales pitches.

Second, if I offer a friend a Bible study, it is usually because we've discussed spiritual things and the person has expressed a desire to know more. From my own experience in Brazil, I know that many Brazilian Catholics (and unbelievers) have virtually no knowledge of Scripture and can't find chapters and verses. If I do nothing else, I can explain to these good people how to read it for themselves so they can make their own decisions.

It is very common among the a cappella Church of Christ brethren to refer to personal evangelism in terms of offering "Bible studies," and far less common among the independent Christian Churches. Maybe some think "Bible study" sounds too formal or stuffy...even offensive. Frankly, I don't see the "drop-a-hint-now-and-then" utilized by many evangelicals as being much more effective. At least if you have a relationship going with someone already, you can make certain the person knows what they are getting into. My personal experience, both with Americans and Brazilians, is that people find Bible studies far less offensive than someone at a water cooler at work awkwardly trying to tell them what Jesus has done for them.

Anyway, back to Belem. The strategy the American missionaries taught it was essentially thus:

When you enter a new neighborhood where you have no church to work with yet (you'll be church planting, in other words) two men go out together, looking around for men in the street or working in front of their homes. The men approach the man and strike up a conversation, asking in the course of conversation if he would like to study, either then or later. If yes, they either go right in and have the first study. If no, they politely thank the man and move on.

Why the men? Is this sexist? No, it's practical, especially in poorer areas of Brazil. Most women seem to have a natural tendency towards spirituality, but if you convert the wife she might spend decades fighting to raise her children in the faith and worrying about her unconverted husband. If, on the other hand, you baptize the man, his wife and children will almost always follow. You'll have the household. Besides, have you noticed how men often tend to think of the church as effeminate, something just for women and small children? If men go out to evangelize in church planting, aiming at other men, the church cannot help but have a positive masculine accent and be appealing to men who are usually turned off by religion (I have a feeling I'll have to return to this topic later).

What I've described above may not seem like something that would work well wherever you are, but the Bible study idea can work.

Once a church is established, most of the new members will have been through the evangelistic Bible studies. Those who haven't should be taught the lessons, and in this way everyone will - at least in theory - be familiar with the lessons and able to teach them to others. Couples can work together in evangelizing neighbors, or men can team up with men or women with women...whatever works, and they can go out to friends and family with the good news. A person familiar with a study series that is user-friendly will be confident in a conversation with a co-worker about offering the study, because she or he knows generally what needs to be said.

As I mentioned above, I have qualms about teaching what amounts to basic systematic doctrine with passages ripped out of context, but believe that if a simple Bible study series were developed that explains the Biblical narrative and thus conveys the mission of God and call to discipleship (a lesson series that anyone can learn and teach to others) it would facilitate greatly the work of making it know that Jesus is Lord, reigning now in His Kingdom.