WWBD: What Would Billy Do?
I recently met with 20 key leaders in our church, discussing our doctrinal statement and those beliefs that distinguish our church. I indicated that, most simply, we are a Christian, Evangelical, Baptist, and Congregational church. Immediately, a hand shot up, and one of our leaders asked, “What does it mean that we’re ‘Evangelical,’ and how is that different from other churches? ” This was followed by many nods of affirmation in the room, indicating the universal curiosity of my team about what it means to be “Evangelical.” 
American historian George Marsden once humorously remarked that in the 1950s and 1960s, an evangelical Christian was simply “anyone who likes Billy Graham.” However, in a 1987 interview with religion reporter Terry Mattingly, when asked to define the term, Graham himself admitted, “Actually, that’s a question I’d like to ask somebody too.” It’s fascinating that, at that time, the most renowned evangelical preacher struggled to articulate what evangelicalism truly means. David Bebbinton responded in Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s within a couple of years.[1] While the term “Evangelical” remains in circulation, so does a lack of clarity about what it signifies. In this post, we will consider the clarification brought by Bebbington’s Evangelical Quadrilateral, specifically focusing on the significance and challenges of “Activism” today.
Evangelical Identity
First, Bebbington’s quadrilateral is essential in distinguishing evangelicalism from other Christian traditions. It comprises four key components: conversionism, activism, biblicism, and crucicentrism. Bebbington explains:
There are the four qualities that have been the special marks of Evangelical religion: conversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and what may be called crucicentrism, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Together they form a quadrilateral of priorities that is the basis of Evangelicalism.[2]
Evangelicalism places the utmost importance on conversion, evangelism, the Bible, and the cross. These core tenets shape its foundation and set the trajectory for many churches.
Activists At Our Core
Bebbington emphasizes that activism—the call to engage in social action and public witness—is not merely an add-on but a reflection of genuine faith in the evangelical identity. He states, “A second leading characteristic of Evangelicals has been their activism. It flows from the first, as Jonathan Edwards remarked. ‘Persons,’ he wrote, ‘after their own conversion, have commonly expressed an exceeding great desire for the conversion of others.”[3] This is especially true tradition, where activism is a core component of Southern Baptist life. Take, for example, the most recent appeal for missionaries made by the SBC’s International Mission Board. They are seeking individuals to participate in Project 3000, an effort to send 300 missionary explorers to those remaining people groups identified as unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is a Missionary Explorer, you ask? The appeal expresses the fervor of activism identified by Bebbington:
You will make a great missionary explorer candidate if you are:
-
- Able and willing to commit two years to this assignment
-
- Willing to go to the edges of lostness
-
- In good physical health (or you’re willing to be!)
-
- Willing to live out of a backpack for weeks at a time and sleep in unknown conditions
-
- Able and willing to eat all kinds of foods
-
- Growing in your relationship with the Lord
-
- Able to work without close supervision
A missionary explorer must:
Have a passion for sharing the gospel with the lost, particularly in extreme places. Be able to work on a team with people from other cultures who may not speak English.[4]
The project was launched a year ago to recruit 300 people, but they have only managed to recruit 19. One of the challenges may be related to a 2019 study[5] by the Barna Group, which found that almost half of practicing Christian Millennials believe that evangelism is wrong. David Kinnaman, the president of Barna Group, emphasized the need for Christians to reaffirm their belief in the value of evangelism. For evangelism to remain a core characteristic of evangelicalism, we must reconcile the biblical conviction of faithful witness with social engagement and winsome persuasion.
Bebbington’s work provides valuable insights into the nature of evangelicalism and its historical trajectory. The evangelical quadrilateral serves as a foundational tool for simplifying the distinctiveness of the evangelical identity. If space allowed, I would explore the nuances of evangelicalism’s resurgence in the 20th Century and what those may show us about the current challenges facing evangelicalism today, as well as Jason Clark’s interactions with Bebbington’s doctrine of assurance and the way it encouraged the activism that was distinct to Evangelicals.[6]
____________________________________________________________________________
[1] David Bebbington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989).
[2] Bebbington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, 2-3.
[3] Bebbington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, 10.
[4] https://www.imb.org/project-3000/
[5] “Almost Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Say Evangelism Is Wrong,” Feb 5, 2019, Accessed October 12, 2024, https://www.barna.com/research/millennials-oppose-evangelism/
[6] Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship,” Faculty Publications – Portland Seminary. 132 (June 2018), https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gfes/132.
About the Author
Chad Warren
A husband, father, pastor, teacher, and student seeking to help others flourish.9 responses to “WWBD: What Would Billy Do?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Chad,
I love the incorporation of a missionary explorer. That is a phrase I have never heard before. Activism has certainly played a large role in Evangelicalism and has certainly taken different shapes along the way. It is not surprising that in our comfort-centered culture they are having trouble raising up explorers willing to live out of a backpack, not know when they will eat or sleep.
You started off by mentioning your church asking about Evangelicalism. How did you respond? Were they desiring to drop the Evangelical label or just wanting more definition?
I briefly walked them through Bebbington’s quadrilateral, and they appreciated the clarity. They just wanted a definition.
In my experience, after attending an evangelical church in Penang for several yes, I concur that Evangelicalism places the utmost importance on conversion, evangelism, the Bible, and the cross. I did street evangelism in Penang. Great way to meet people and share the good news. As a Presbyterian Lay Pastor, I often integrate my evangelical practices – so far, I have not received any push backs!
Chad, I do not know your denomination, but from your perspective as a Pastor, while reading Bebbington’s book, were there any aspects you wished Bebbington had addressed more thoroughly?
Shela, I found Bebbington’s historical account very helpful. I also understand it was very specific in tracing Evangelicalism in Great Britain. I would like to dive more into the historical roots within the United States and elsewhere.
Hi Chad, thanks for your post. I am so curious (and sad) about the Barna research that you quoted. Do they believe it is wrong (like unethical to try to persuade someone to change their beliefs about God), or do they believe it is often done wrong (through manipulation or ‘fire and brimstone’), or do they believe it’s just scary? Obviously, there’s a spectrum of response to this, but I’ve always been concerned by the churches lack of desire to evangelize. My mom came to faith from a buddhist background because her roommate and professor had the courage to share the gospel with her. How do you disciple millennials in your church towards healthy evangelism?
Hi Chad, I enjoyed your post. You mentioned, “For evangelism to remain a core characteristic of evangelicalism, we must reconcile the biblical conviction of faithful witness with social engagement and winsome persuasion.”
What would you suggest are one or two practical steps that can be taken at a base level within the congregation to begin this reconciliation?
Hi Chad,
Thank you for your post. I resonate with the observation of witness confusion. It seems like people have opinions and feelings about “evangelism” even when they are unable to state what it means to be “evangelistic”.
I am curious about the people you currently pastor and their perception of “evangelism” in contrast to the Barna study.
Hi Chad! Thank you for your post. It was interesting to hear the reaction your congregation gave about questioning the Evangelical identity.
As you look at Dr. Jason and Bebbingtons writings how could you use massage the identity curiosity in using them as a bridge?
Hi, Chad, thank you for your post. I have never been part or member of any American church, and the island church that I came from is result of evangelical missionaries, therefore we called our denomination ‘Evangelical Churches of Chuuk.’ My question is why ‘evangelical’ is something that is kind of sound negative? Thanks again.