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“Evangelical” appears to be a hazy word in the Christian community, never mind secular observers. Even some church leaders and long-time Christians have faint ideas about its meaning. It will be appropriate at this juncture, as we celebrate 20 years of existing as an Evangelical fellowship, to clarify and explain what an Evangelical is.
Generally, an Evangelical is a Protestant who, besides subscribing to the main doctrines of Christianity, believes in the full authority of the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the sole authority and guide for Christian belief and conduct. He further subscribes to the necessity of personal faith and the individual’s conversion.
Hence, Evangelicals differ from those who hold that the traditions of the Church and human reason have equal authority to the Bible.
An Evangelical is also committed to proclaiming the gospel. To quote John Stott, one of today’s primary figures of the Evangelical movement: “We Evangelicals are Gospel people … and if the first hallmark of the Evangelical is Bible supremacy, the second is the centrality of the Gospel.” This means more than that he preaches the gospel now and then. For him, the gospel of Christ is central; it is at the centre of his thinking and living.
The Evangelicals’ gospel briefly states that man has sinned against, and are alienated from, God. Only by repentance to God, confession of his sins and faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour can he then be reconciled to God.
Evangelicals are called to repentance from past sins and a holy life, which are possible only by the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit – an integral part of the Christian life, as Evangelicals understand.
Evangelical churches are those churches that include the Evangelical emphasis – supremacy of the Scripture and the centrality of the Gospel – in their statements of faith. Admission of individuals into their fellowships is consequent upon their conversion and confession of faith in Jesus Christ.
Evangelical churches, however, are not identical in all doctrines or practice; they may differ on doctrinal issues such as eschatology and charismatic gifts, and in practices such as church government, administration of the sacraments and church discipline. But because of their agreement on basic Christian doctrine and on the Evangelical emphasis, they are able to work together in a fellowship larger than their local churches or denominations.
Evangelicals, as individuals, are also to be found in churches and denominations that do not regard themselves as Evangelical bodies. Until recently, Evangelicals were regarded as being exclusively members of Protestant denominations but more and more Catholics are reportedly identifying themselves as Evangelicals.
As Mark Ellingsen, in his book Who Are the Evangelicals?, says: “There are a number of Christians throughout the world who identify themselves as ‘Evangelicals’, and as part of the of the Evangelical movement.
“These Christians sense themselves to have a special kind of fellowship with others who identify themselves as Evangelicals – a fellowship more intimate than Evangelicals have with those in their own denomination who do not identify themselves as fellows Evangelicals.”
Evangelicalism thus spans the whole spectrum of Christian profession. Evangelicals are not members of secretive, exclusive sects or cults nor is the term synonymous with aggressiveness, extremism or intolerance.
Malaysian Evangelicals are part of a family of 160 million Evangelicals worldwide, represented by the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) of which NECF is a member of. WEA has 120 members (regional and national Evangelical alliances or fellowships). |
