Evangelicals Need to Be Re-Evangelized!? An Interview with Lance Ford

Who gets to claim Evangelical as their descriptor? The recent revelation that Donald Trump finds Evangelicals among his strong supporters has created any number of explanations. For example, one recent article dissects the numbers and concludes those who support Trump are not, in fact, Evangelical, and may not even be Christian. 

Fox News pundit and Evangelical, Southern Baptist pastor, Robert Jeffress, recently prayed before the Trump rally in Dallas. Donald Trump took that action, as most of us would, as support. On the other hand, Russell Moore, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention contends Evangelicals who support Trump have lost their morals. Which is it? Who gets to decide?

What Forms You?

Lance Ford writes from the perspective of an experienced pastor, church planter, and ministry coach/consultant. His new book Revangelical suggests Evangelicals need to be revangelized. He writes,

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According to Ford, the state of Evangelicalism calls into question to what Evangelicals have been evangelized. His answer to the current milieu is to be evangelized to Jesus and his vision of living in the Kingdom of God here and now.

The Difference It Makes

Ford tells his own story. It is likely the story of many of you. Riding through town where he and his wife moved to begin ministry he is told where he may eat, with whom he may do business, and other boundary markers that would keep him from real opportunities to evangelize, announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Over time he made a good soldier buying into that vision. Then, he tells how he was revangelized to Jesus and the vision of the Kingdom of God. That story alone is worth getting the book.

On the podcast we look at two aspects of this process. One that Ford marks as the beginning and one that points to the consequence of being evangelized. We discuss repent and reposition. Changing our mind and direction will result in a different posture in and toward the world, toward people.

Always Learning What It Looks Like to Follow Jesus

Nothing harms our witness in the world more than arriving at the place where Jesus is no longer disrupting our way in the world. Ford suggests too many have locked into a vision of Jesus that fails to take into account Jesus’ way in this world in favor of a world to come. His point is not that there is no world to come but that living in the Kingdom declares that world has already come, broken into our world here and now.

The vision he casts is one of hope and promise not one of despairing for the future. Take a listen. If after listening you are still unsure, you may download a copy of a sample chapter, view brief video introductions to each chapter, and should that inspire you to purchase the book you can do so here.

Subscribe to the podcast in the right sidebar. Choose iTunes or Stitcher. If you like what you hear, leave a review.

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About the Author
Husband to Patty. Daddy to Kimberly and Tommie. Grandpa Doc to Cohen, Max, Fox, and Marlee. Pastor to Snow Hill Baptist Church. Graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Reading. Photography. Golf. Colorado. Jeeping. Friend. The views and opinions expressed here are my own and should not be construed as representing the corporate views of the church I pastor.

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