Why have the Anabaptists FAILED at Reaching the Masses

[Ernie]

Why have the Anabaptists failed at reaching the masses?

Mainline and Progressive Anabaptists have attempted reaching the masses. But their efforts have largely failed because of watering down the Gospel.

Old Order and Conservative Anabaptists have failed at this because they rarely attempt it.

But, is it desirable or even possible to reach the”masses.” I have seen my former denomination try to reach the “masses”:by watering down their message, to a point where the message is lost in the water of postmodernism of America culture.

Better a small and faithful church than one that is neither of these. As Robert pointed out above, it is a narrow way.

Yes, better is a small and faithful...

But what about those God wants to use to reach the masses while they are also being faithful?

[Josh]

An open question here is just how effective the idea of "mass conversions" really is. What is the long term fruit of the "great awakenings" in America's history?

Does it even make sense to ask a group of, say, 27,000 members like my own denomination, to somehow be expected to disciple millions of converts? How exactly would we do that? Is that even God's will?

Or is "slow growth" more in line with kingdom principles?

[ken_sylvania]

The Great Commission of Jesus is for ALL people, all Christians everywhere. Jesus declared all authority in Heaven and on Earth was given to him. The very first thing he said was "NOW GO ye therefore..."

Charles Spurgeon said “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor”.

We are all missionaries. Saying "those who are called to church planting" is exactly why the pinouts on churchindex.org are nationally pathetic. You'd see tens of thousands of Baptist, Lutheran, and Methodist pins. This is because these churches know what the commission is.

This is a culturally infused heresy to not go, and pick each other apart.

Well, you're certainly not picking anybody apart, are you?

Would you be willing to share with us the methods you use and successes you have had in your evangelistic efforts so that we can learn from your methods?

[Judas Maccabeus]

An open question here is just how effective the idea of "mass conversions" really is. What is the long term fruit of the "great awakenings" in America's history?

Does it even make sense to ask a group of, say, 27,000 members like my own denomination, to somehow be expected to disciple millions of converts? How exactly would we do that? Is that even God's will?

Or is "slow growth" more in line with kingdom principles?

The statistics from mass evangelism rallies is dismal.

As to those “great awakening “ churches, Jonathan Edward’s Congregationalist churches were half Unitarian by the 1820s.

[Heirbyadoption]

The Great Commission of Jesus is for ALL people, all Christians everywhere. Jesus declared all authority in Heaven and on Earth was given to him. The very first thing he said was "NOW GO ye therefore..."

Charles Spurgeon said “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor”.

We are all missionaries. Saying "those who are called to church planting" is exactly why the pinouts on churchindex.org are nationally pathetic. You'd see tens of thousands of Baptist, Lutheran, and Methodist pins. This is because these churches know what the commission is.

This is a culturally infused heresy to not go, and pick each other apart.

Well, you're certainly not picking anybody apart, are you?

Would you be willing to share with us the methods you use and successes you have had in your evangelistic efforts so that we can learn from your methods?

I second the request. Would love to hear more.

[Ken]

It is interesting to read how people are pretty astute at diagnosing WHY Anabaptists have failed to reach the masses so to speak despite being one of the very oldest existing Christian traditions outside of Catholicism.

But at the same time have a long list of reasons or excuses for why changing anything or doing anything differently would be the wrong thing to do.

Having lived in Latin America during the rise of Pentecostalism down there, I don’t think they are so successful and the fastest growing denomination worldwide because they give out free stuff. Mostly they don’t. In fact, mostly they are home-grown and resource poor. I think the main reason why Pentecostals are so successful is that they meet a spiritual need that people hunger for that other groups have not been successful at meeting. And they are good at meeting people where they are and as they are. Frankly, just like Jesus did. I think it is as simple as that.

[Sudsy]

But, is it desirable or even possible to reach the”masses.” I have seen my former denomination try to reach the “masses”:by watering down their message, to a point where the message is lost in the water of postmodernism of America culture.

Better a small and faithful church than one that is neither of these. As Robert pointed out above, it is a narrow way.

The 'narrow way'. Is this a certain way of being sanctified or is it a way of accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour as there is no one else whereby we can be saved ?

It's whatever Jesus said it is.

Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

I'm going with the number spoken of in Revelation 7:9-10 -

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

The gate that is narrow is Jesus. He leads to life everlasting. He made the way for us to be reconciled to God by His work and not ours. A man can count those who have certain Anabaptist practises but no man can count those whom God has saved. So I am believing, although 'few' find the narrow way, Jesus, compared to all of those who ever had and will live, this number that is 'few' is still a great number far beyond any defined otherwise group of believers. A number 'no one could count'.

I have heard this used many times as a reason to not expect many to be saved. They take the approach, 'if you want to be saved, you know where we are at, so come and ask us about it'. Just the opposite of 'Go and preach the Gospel to every creature'. I am guilty of this disobedience too as I don't like to get away from my comforts and get out there where the battle for souls is fought. Some would rather stay in their churches and fight amongst themselves over things I believe make Jesus very sad.

Well, that is where I am at in my belief and struggling to obey. It is time to leave the shoreline and launch out into the deep where a harvest of souls is there to be caught. Time to quit pointing fingers at those who we don't think are fishing correctly and instead demonstrate how it should be done with a result of a quality catch.

[GaryK]

The 'narrow way'. Is this a certain way of being sanctified or is it a way of accepting Christ as our Lord and Saviour as there is no one else whereby we can be saved ?

It's whatever Jesus said it is.

Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

I'm going with the number spoken of in Revelation 7:9-10 -

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

The gate that is narrow is Jesus. He leads to life everlasting. He made the way for us to be reconciled to God by His work and not ours. A man can count those who have certain Anabaptist practises but no man can count those whom God has saved. So I am believing, although 'few' find the narrow way, Jesus, compared to all of those who ever had and will live, this number that is 'few' is still a great number far beyond any defined otherwise group of believers. A number 'no one could count'.

I have heard this used many times as a reason to not expect many to be saved. They take the approach, 'if you want to be saved, you know where we are at, so come and ask us about it'. Just the opposite of 'Go and preach the Gospel to every creature'. I am guilty of this disobedience too as I don't like to get away from my comforts and get out there where the battle for souls is fought. Some would rather stay in their churches and fight amongst themselves over things I believe make Jesus very sad.

Well, that is where I am at in my belief and struggling to obey. It is time to leave the shoreline and launch out into the deep where a harvest of souls is there to be caught. Time to quit pointing fingers at those who we don't think are fishing correctly and instead demonstrate how it should be done with a result of a quality catch.

I'm convinced that what Jesus said about the way being difficult is true and that the multitude you reference in Revelation is not many, but few, compared to the billions of people who have ever lived and will live in the future.

If, in our evangelism and discipleship, we are not telling people that following Jesus is difficult and that it requires taking up the cross daily and that it requires losing their life in order to find it, we are pointing them toward the broad way and we know what Jesus said this leads to.

[steve-in-kville]

I'll be honest, I haven't been super active online as of late and I did not read through this thread. But one fact comes to mind regarding this topic: Conservative Anabaptists are not interested in "reaching out". They want to preserve what they have been protecting for decades. Beyond summer Bible Schools and such, I do not see much community outreach, at least in my area. We may have a "street preacher" or two, but that is beyond the norm.

Change my mind.

[GaryK]

I'll be honest, I haven't been super active online as of late and I did not read through this thread. But one fact comes to mind regarding this topic: Conservative Anabaptists are not interested in "reaching out". They want to preserve what they have been protecting for decades. Beyond summer Bible Schools and such, I do not see much community outreach, at least in my area. We may have a "street preacher" or two, but that is beyond the norm.

Change my mind.

Attend the next Church Planters Forum & Retreat. You might be surprised at how many individuals and families from within CA churches are interested in reaching out.