While I agree with 85% of the Way of the Master evangelism style, I think its very wise to have discernment. What I have seen of those employing the Way of the Master preaching style is what we call bait and switch marketing. Some will offer to give money to lost people to get them to listen to them & or ask worldly trivia. This is a pure and simple tactics that Paul never employed, nor did any preacher in the Bible. Spurgeon, Whitefield, among others would never do such a thing. Paul said that his preaching was never done with the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Cor 2). In Jer 23:29, Heb 4:12, Isa 55 we learn that the word of God is powerful and effective. Also in Psa 19 it is told that it has the power to change hearts, and convert the soul. That is preaching alone, or known as the doctrine of sufficiency.
As I said I am not against Way of the Master, but if employing these marketing psychological manipulation tactics are what is being taught, then I have to disagree and wont be practicing that form of open air preaching. I believe fully in the sufficiency of the scriptures. While open airing not offering to give out money, or drawing people in with worldly trivia, will not always draw a crowd, its the most biblical method.* Friends, we cant be consumed with pragmatism and what works. We need to be concerned about the truth and preaching it without compromise.
Some excellent works on refuting marketing philosophies that creep in churches have been written by John MacArthur, Pritchard, & David Doran. If interested I can name some of these works for further investigation.
God bless,
John
John,
Our church uses TWOTM stuff, and all of the things that you talked about are designed to get the attention of unbelievers so that we can engage in a discussion of the gospel. That's it - there's no "bait and switch", which implies that we're trying to get them into a different religion or whatever. It's not really any different from gospel tracts that use stories or images to get people to pick them up and read.
Maybe I got the terms wrong, but whatever is being utilized in the "street preaching" is also what Willow Creek and others in the church marketing movement use.
It will be difficult for some who understand who have not read up on the church marketing movement. Check out the book Ashamed of the Gospel when the Church becomes like the World.
John
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