English: For several reasons that will be discussed in this study, evangelism is returning once
again to the agenda of the church and theology. Due to past practices and negative
experiences of evangelism, it is necessary to rediscover evangelism in a post-
Christendom context so that evangelism can be restored theologically. This new
understanding of evangelism can contribute to the restoration of credible practices of
the good news.
Evangelism is often seen as the task of a group of trained members or an “appendage”
ministry for congregations. In this study, evangelism is rediscovered as essential to
missionality (participation in the missio Dei) and indispensable for an integrated
congregation that is the evangelist. All the ministries are aligned from the missionary
vocation and coordinated and incorporated as part of an integrated missionary-
evangelising congregation. Church membership is also rediscovered as missionary
disciples (disciples who make disciples) (Chapter 2).
Evangelism is further rediscovered as missional disciples’ participation in the coming
of the kingdom. The reductions in relation to evangelism and the gospel, and the
harmful consequences that this entails for a responsible theological understanding
and ethical practices of evangelism, are addressed in Chapter 3. Herein evangelism
is also rediscovered in terms of the gospel of the kingdom of God.
Evangelisation becomes holistic and integrated as marturia (witness) throughout the
faith community. The gospel of the kingdom is embodied by the community of faith in faithful presence (being), servantly love (deeds), and words of hope at appropriate
times (telling). The holistic approach wants to free evangelism from reductionisms and
dichotomies that have contributed to evangelism falling out of favour. The practices of
evangelism are determined by the theology (content) and the servant style of Jesus,
and are contextually distinguished in faith as participation in God's mission (Chapter
4)
The empirical study was conducted using a mixed method of research. Data for the
quantitative empirical research were collected through 49 questionnaires obtained
from 43 Dutch Reformed (DR) congregations from the four Northern Synods and six
from churches from other denominations. Valuable data were obtained through
questions about the respondents' understanding of evangelism in terms of an
integrated missional-evangelising congregation, missional discipleship, the gospel of
the kingdom, the context, and practices that occur in communities (Chapter 5).
Thereafter, qualitative data were collected through 10 structured interviews that were
conducted with pastors from participating congregations. The questions for the
interviews were drawn up according to the categories that emerged from the
quantitative study. The participants for the questionnaires and interviews were
randomly selected (Chapter 6). The qualitative data were analysed using ATLAS.ti.
The results revealed that among the respondents there is a gap in a holistic and
integrated understanding of evangelisation from the kingdom of God and the
congregation as an integrated missional evangelising whole. The understanding of the
relationship between evangelism and discipleship also needs further clarification.
Although the participating congregations are serious about being open and
welcoming, there are challenges in creating an invitation culture in congregations
(Chapter 7).
Chapter 8, the final chapter completes the study, draws conclusions from the findings
and presents recommendations for preferred practices in evangelism.
Afrikaans: Evangelisasie kom om verskeie redes weer op die kerk en die teologie se agenda.
Weens praktyke van die verlede en negatiewe ervarings van evangelisasie, is dit nodig
om evangelisasie in ’n post-Christendomkonteks weer nuut te herontdek sodat
evangelisasie teologies herstel kan word. So ’n nuwe verstaan van evangelisasie kan
meewerk tot die herstel van geloofwaardige praktyke om die goeie nuus te deel.
Evangelisasie word baie keer as die taak van ’n groep opgeleide lidmate en as ’n
ekstra bediening in gemeentes gesien. In hierdie studie word evangelisasie herontdek
as wesenlik tot missionaliteit (deelname aan die missio Dei) en as wesenlik deel van
’n geïntegreerde gemeente wat die evangelis is. Al die gemeentelike bedieninge word
vanuit die missionale roeping belyn, gekoördineer en geïntegreer as take van ’n
geïntegreerde missionaal-evangeliserende gemeente. Gemeentelede word herontdek
as missionale dissipels (dissipels wat dissipels maak) (hoofstuk 2).
Evangelisasie word verder herontdek as missionale dissipellerende deelname aan die
koms van die koninkryk. Reduksies met betrekking tot evangelisasie en die evangelie,
en die skadelike gevolge wat dit inhou vir ’n verantwoordelike teologiese verstaan en
etiese praktyke van evangelisasie, word aangespreek. Evangelisasie word herontdek
in terme van die evangelie van die koninkryk van God (hoofstuk 3). Evangelisasie
word holisties en geïntegreerd as marturia deur die hele geloofsgemeenskap beskou.
Die evangelie van die koninkryk word deur die geloofsgemeenskap beliggaam in
getroue teenwoordigheid (wees), diensbare liefde (doen) en woorde van hoop op
gepaste tye (vertel). Die holistiese benadering wil evangelisasie bevry van
reduksionismes en dichotomieë wat juis meegewerk het dat evangelisasie in onguns
verval het. Die praktyke van evangelisasie word deur die teologie (inhoud) en die diensbare styl van Jesus bepaal en kontekstueel in die geloof onderskei as deelname
aan God se sending (hoofstuk 4).
’n Empiriese studie is gedoen deur ’n gemengde metode van navorsing. Die
kwantitatiewe empiriese opname het plaasgevind by wyse van ’n vraelysopname wat
aan 49 gemeentes gestuur is, naamlik 43 Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk-
gemeentes van die vier Noordelike Sinodes en ses van ander kerke (nie-NG Kerke).
Waardevolle data is verkry deur vrae oor respondente se verstaan van evangelisasie
in terme van ’n geïntegreerde missionaal-evangeliserende gemeente, missionale
dissipelskap, die evangelie van die koninkryk, die konteks waarin evangelisasie
gedoen word en evangelisasiepraktyke in gemeentes (hoofstuk 5).
Verder is 10 gestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer met predikante van deelnemende
gemeentes. Die vrae in die onderhoude is opgestel volgens dieselfde kategorieë as in
die kwantitatiewe studie. Die deelnemers aan die vraelyste en onderhoude is
ewekansig gekies (hoofstuk 6). Die data is geïnterpreteer deur gebruik te maak van
ATLAS.ti. Dit blyk dat ’n holistiese en geïntegreerde verstaan van evangelisasie vanuit
die koninkryk van God en die gemeente as geïntegreerde missionaal-evangeliserende
geheel onder die respondente ontbreek. Die verstaan van die verhouding tussen
evangelisasie en dissipelskap het ook verdere uitklaring nodig. Alhoewel die
deelnemende gemeentes erns maak om oop en verwelkomend te wees, is daar
uitdagings om ’n uitnooikultuur te skep in gemeentes (hoofstuk 7). In die laaste
hoofstuk (8) word enkele gevolgtrekkings gemaak en voorstelle aan die hand gedoen
in verband met skuiwe wat kan lei tot moontlike verbeterde praktyke in evangelisasie.
