Evangelists help churches grow up, while apostles help churches grow out
[This is part of a series called “What is the difference between an evangelist and an apostle?” check out the other posts here]
In a recent post I wrote about the apostolic role as planter and how they love starting new things. Especially when it is new things that involve lots of new people that are checking out Jesus.
But a question arose in my head as I was writing the post:
Why does that mean you are apostolic and not just evangelistic? What is the difference?
For years I have been trained, developed and called an evangelist in InterVarsity. I had great language for the evangelist gifts and calling and I would have said everything written above is what evangelists care about. But that was because I didn’t have language for the apostolic.
All apostolic people plant things. Not all evangelists do.
“The evangelist is the recruiter to the cause, the naturally infectious person who is able to enlist people into the movement by transmitting the gospel.”[1]
“The apostle is tasked with the overall vigor, as well as extension of Christianity as a whole, primarily through direct mission and church planting. As the name itself suggests, it is the quintessentially missional ministry, as ‘sentness’ (Latin mission) is written into it (apostello = sent one).” [i]
Trans-local vs. Super-local
Apostles are what we would call trans-local: they are generally sent outside the local group to go and plant things that are not happening. They travel outside of the local area and sphere of the mother/founding church.
Evangelists are what we would call super-local: they are generally very connected to the local sphere and founding church and help build on that. They are the recruiters and they tend to have one foot in the church and one foot outside. They make relationships with outsiders and then recruit them to Jesus and the local church.
And when I say build I mean they recruit outsiders and lead them to the gospel of Jesus but connect them to what already exists. They help existing churches grow up and become bigger.
The bug to plant and start new communities of faith is the apostolic bug and we cannot confuse this with the evangelistic. I did this for too long and it didn’t help me understand my calling better.
Now, you can be an evangelistic apostle and this is what I am. This is part of the reason it was so hard for me to understand the difference, but also why the language of the apostolic, when I finally got doused with it, really hit me and opened up a whole new world of thinking for me.
It was literally like I could hear God ten times more clearly once I finally knew what the apostolic was and how it was different from an evangelistic calling.
Here is how you can tell the difference between an evangelist and an apostle.
Apostle/planter
- Wants to go outside the local church/community
- Wants to start something new for people “outside” the church
- Doesn’t have a need or intention to bring “the new” thing back to the local community or church.
- They are just fine letting it be its own thing and/or a new church. In fact they may really prefer it.
- Would much rather decentralize and help people move out to the margins and start new things than keep building up one local community or church.
- Is often motivated to go by themself or with a team of people to go start something new completely away from and maybe outside of the local movement. They don’t feel the need for the group to back them up. There can be a “I am going to go do this whether anyone is coming or not” attitude in them.
Read: How to Identify An Apostolic Leader
Evangelist/recruiter
- Wants to reach people outside the church/community but wants to stay connected to the local community/church.
- Loves sharing the gospel and promoting Jesus to people they know and beyond.
- Likes inviting outsiders to planned events or talks at the church designed for outsiders.
- Likes being in “the know” at the church/community, but wants to spend most its time outside the community with others not knowing Jesus.
- Wants the local community to be really high quality so that they can recruit well to it.
- Like seeing the community grow bigger and more full of new Christians.
- Doesn’t necessarily want to start a new thing or lead something. They are more motivated to troll the edges and make relationships with outsiders and help them feel welcome open to the gospel.
Read: How to Identify an Evangelist in Your Ministry
In a nut shell, apostolic people want to start new faith communities for people who don’t know God in areas where Jesus activity isn’t happening. Evangelists want to reach new people who are not hearing the gospel and recruit them to Jesus and communities that already exist.
Evangelists are not driven the same way planters are to start new things. And planters don’t have the ability to recruit and the gospel clarity that a lot of evangelists have.
We need them both, but lets not confuse them!
What do you think of my distinction between apostle and evangelist? What would you add or take away? Please let us know in the comments.
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It’s a good post, Beau. There is certainly a clear distinction between apostles and evangelists, and we could add prophets, shepherds and teachers to that list.
What do you think of the idea that apostles are catalytic generalists who usually bring along a share of all of those other abilities when they go out to start something new? That is certainly the way Neil Cole sees it, and I tend to agree. This video explains it far better than I can – http://www.cmaresources.org/video/APEST-team_n-cole . The relevant section starts at 9 mins 45 secs but it’s good to hear the earlier stuff too.
Neil writes on his blog, ‘I believe that part of the apostolic genius is not so much the apostle’s own hands-on ministry, as it is his or her ability to get others to spread the message.’ – http://cole-slaw.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/gift-of-apostle-catalyzes-movement.html
Is this also how you see apostles or do you have a different view?
It’s really useful to think and share around these ideas. Thanks for your post!
Chris: I agree with everything you say and will be writing posts on those things you suggest. Cole is great! This post was highlighting two callings that I think we mix up frequently. Since we don’t have great language for evangelists or apostles, we tend to blur them in my mind. Both these callings are “extending” the kingdom (apostles planting and evangelists by reaching new people) so It’s easy to clump them.
I so enjoyed your explanation on the difference between the office of an Evangelist and the office of an Apostle. Someone had asked on a different site the difference and I googled and found your explanation. It was well worth the time in googling. You are such great (teaching), explanation.
Thank you faith!
This is amazing! Thank you for sharing!!!
Hi, this is pastor Sher from Nepal. We have a small group of people with 35. This morning I was praying and wondering what to speak today in the church. I thought about our church’s current situation. How can a believer play role in the church growth? How can we make our church more dynamic? How can we do better for reaching other people. As I was praying and thinking what mighty be good for today? Then I got a thought about Spiritual Gift from 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4:11. I did know about appostle and evangelists but did not know very clearly as you mentioned you here. I am so much thankful and grateful for this wonderful revelation and insightment. Praise God. Bless you abundantly.
I see we are on the same page 🙂
Unfortunately not many people have been exposed to this sort of thinking. Certainly here in the UK most people would be unlikely to think beyond pastors and evangelists. Apostles were only for the early church (or maybe there were only ever twelve of them) and evangelists go on missions.
So reading your post may help open some minds – if they get to see it.
Thanks again!
Beau–
Great post!
Would you be willing to share more on your experience as an evangelistic apostle? I would like to learn more about how these two gifts work together in a gift set!
Brittany,
I would love to! I can write some more posts on the topic for sure detailing more of my insights. Feel free to comment again or shoot me an email with specific questions you want answers to.
So then an apostle starts new things… with what? Paul went to new territories & started churches amongst pagans…. so how did they become followers of Jesus if not by hearing the Gospel evangelistically from Paul ? I think you have these two gifts confused. An Evangelist causes the church to grow out…by winning people to Christ…but lack the ability to mature them….the apostle establishes them and puts authority & leadership in place that enables them (now the church) to grow up….apostles usually operate in all of the five-fold ministries mentioned in Eph 4.
Bob, you make a good point. I guess my language could be more clear. What I am trying to say is that the apostle is most responsible/gifted to make new churches (out) and the evangelists wins people to the Lord and tends to recruit them to the church making it grow (up). No doubt that Paul had both and used both. I see your point about me having it backwards and I think that is a valid way to talk about it too.
i like that grow out and grow up but i agree with the article too
Beau,
I met you once at an IV event at Bel Air Pres. I was playing drums for Audrey Tom.
I really enjoyed your post and thoughts on evangelist/apostolic functions. I feel like I connect more with the apostolic descriptions and feel a sense to plant. But I have had an inner anxiety and battle to do it.
As an evangelist/apostle, have you ever had these feelings when you sense a call to plant/start something new, even if you’re by yourself?
You also mention that planters don’t have the ability to recruit or present the gospel with clarity. Can you please elaborate on this?
Thanks again for the great post. I also believe that we need more language to articulate the the role of the apostle/evangelist, especially for people like me who came out of charismatic circles where those titles were thrown around flippantly.
Peace,
Roy
Roy, Thanks for reading and glad the article was helpful.
1) All the time I get the urge to start something new and feel by myself or all alone. I think that is part of the apostolic life. We tend to be out on a limb many times. But I always try my best to include community still. If I sense I need to start something new, I will always tell my friends and mentors and see if any of them want to help me. Or I look for other younger people that may want to help and just need some courage from me to get going. If no one will do it with me and I really think it needs to happen, then I go do it alone but I have people praying for me and asking me questions about it. It is still a communal call but I may do the “task” alone. I would encourage you never to just go start stuff and not process with community first and during.
2) Sorry if I was not clear but I did not mean that planters don’t have the ability to recruit or present the gospel with clarity but that evangelists are more gifted and usually better at this naturally. I think many great planters can do these things well. But what makes an apostle truly apostolic is their gifting to break new ground and start new things. What makes an evangelist truly gifted is their ability to share the gospel well, clearly and in a connecting way so people come to Christ. I didn’t mean it to be a limiting definition, just a way to help you see the core function of each calling.
Hope that helps, keep asking questions. I love it!
Thank you for the explanation because now I understand my position and my feelings. I am an evangelist. I love to share the gospel to new friends/ new people and invite them 2 the church in Jesus name.. have a blessed day and let us keep up doing the will of God.
Recently my pastor had encouraged us to seek the Lord about what our gifts are, he said specifically ask about 3 gifts. I then had a dream where the Lord told me to read Mark 5. I immediately got up & read it: the 3 stories of Jesus, casting out a legion of unclean spirits, healing the sick woman with the issue of blood & raising the 12 yr old dead girl. Then I began asking him to show me in scripture the seemingly subtle difference between apostles & evangelists & he did, moments before I decided to google it & discovered your blog.So I thought I would share with you the simple subtle difference I discovered in scripture. And so now I believe that ALL Believers have an evangelical call on them, but not necessarily the five fold “office” of such in the church (all the five fold are called to build up the church – Ephesians 4:11-15The Voice (VOICE)
11 It was the risen One who handed down to us such gifted leaders—some emissaries,[a] some prophets, some evangelists, as well as some pastor-teachers— 12 so that God’s people would be thoroughly equipped to minister and build up the body of the Anointed One. 13 These ministries will continue until we are unified in faith and filled with the knowledge of the Son of God, until we stand mature in His teachings and fully formed in the likeness of the Anointed, our Liberating King. 14 Then we will no longer be like children, tossed around here and there upon ocean waves, picked up by every gust of religious teaching spoken by liars or swindlers or deceivers. 15 Instead, by truth spoken in love, we are to grow in every way into Him—the Anointed One, the head.
There are even a few people who have all those offices inside of them! Just like in the natural there are some people that we refer to as Renaissance people who do it all as far as natural gifts go, i.e., visual artists+singer+writer+multiple instrument player+chef+philosopher, etc…or maybe just a few like poet/artist –
So here’s the difference I noticed: The original apostles were sent to Israel:
Matthew 10:5-8 The Voice
5 Jesus sent out these twelve with clear instructions:
Jesus: “Don’t go to the outsiders or to the towns inhabited by Samaritans, a people whose Jewish ancestors married Gentiles. 6 Go instead to find and heal the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out demons from the possessed. You received these gifts freely, so you should give them to others freely.” & “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. ” (Romans 2:28-29)
To me it appears that the Evangelical call is to the Lost, the Apostolic call is to the strayed Sheep of the Church (which is Israel). Yet the Evangelical Office is for the equipping of the saints…so I do appreciate your “breaking it down” – there are subtle differences as well as overlapping functions of the general call that we all have AND the gifting & the Office of Evangelist like you have…
This below refers to the evangelical call we all CAN have but don’t necessarily make room for in our lives, as this greatly enhances the great commission work (notice is does NOT include raising the dead in the natural (just the spiritual) by using the compassion tools & signs of supernatural workings & protection for believers to draw the lost & confirms the gospel message:
Mark 16:17-18King James Version (KJV)
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
and then:
Mark 16:19-20, KJV So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.
thanks 🙂
i don’t know if planters aren’t god recruiters. i think to catalyze as an apostle you need to recruit very effectively
Hello beau. i have a question.
If every Christian is called to preach the gospel, then why do we need evangelists? Why did the Lord gave the office of the evangelist if all christians are to preach the gospel? what is so special about an evangelist? God bless
Hi,
I thank you so much for this article. You helped me have an greater understanding of the callings on my life. I have been told I have a five-fold ministry, and was never certain of what it truly meant. After reading your article, I understand that I have the gifting of all five gifts, but am not mature enough to walk into it yet. I already know I have the gift of a Pastor/Prophet/Teacher they are evident in my life. But, in this season, there is such a heavy calling to evangelize; which I love doing. The Lord raised me as an Evangelist before I even understood the call of an Evangelist. I have had this strong desire to know who I am right now, and through reading the article and everyone’s comments, I realize I am a gifted Evangelist, but with Apostolic characteristics. I love starting new/planting ministry movements, but I have not matured to the point were I can fully nurture everyone that joins them. Now I understand why God has now placed me under an Apostle to teach me further. Thank you for allowing this to be an open forum, it was very insightful, and I was able to receive further clarity on the difference between an Apostle and Evangelist.
I have clear understanding and the explanation was detailed thank you
What I have learnt is that the apostolic have great faith, such that the don’t need to be packed people that have zealous, like peter who at onetime told Christ to build one for mose and Elijah
Thanks for the teaching.
God bless u for the post, it has really helped me in shaping my mindset about the ministry of an Apostle. I also want to ask that I had a revelation and I saw a form of a man taking me to different nations and asking me to preach His word becos He is coming very soon does it mean I have an Apostolic call…pls I need reply ..thanks..
Reply
Jeff, thanks for the comment. Be careful about the visions you receive and always discern them inside of trusted community and the word of God. I am not sure what that vision was and if it was from God or not. It could be…this does not mean your a called apostle. A called apostle is someone with the calling and gifting of a planter of ministry. See the other articles on apostolic leadership.
THANK YOU so much for this. Even though I’ve had it backward until now; you made it easy to understand. Again, thanks for setting me strait.