In almost 25 years of studying churches in North America, never have I yet found an evangelistic church that was not led by a strongly evangelistic pastor. Here are some general characteristics I’ve seen in these pastors:
12 Characteristics of Evangelistic Pastors
1. They make themselves do evangelism.
Some are naturally gifted evangelists, but many are not. They just know they need to do evangelism, and they need to lead the way – so they intentionally choose to do what sometimes makes them uncomfortable.
2. They believe in the exclusivity of the gospel and truth of eternal judgment.
Believing that a personal relationship with Jesus is necessary for salvation—and for escaping eternal judgment—they tell others about Him.
3. They hold themselves accountable to someone.
They’re unafraid to keep somebody else informed about their evangelistic endeavors. They want the accountability, and they want to model evangelistic faithfulness for others.
4. If they have staff, they hold them accountable to doing evangelism as well.
That is, they work to build evangelism into the DNA of their church. They know the importance of leaders modeling the work of evangelism.
5. They don’t lock themselves up in their office.
Instead, they get involved in the community. They join local organizations. They work out in local gyms. They coach little league in the area. They go where lost people are.
