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Da Sheik

Can an evangelist make a living anymore?

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **7/24/17 2:36 pm**

I know that our congregation seldom has scheduled revival meetings anymore. When we do, I often invite another trusted pastor that I'm certain won't do any harm to the flock. I don't have anything against having evangelists to speak (although I've had some bad experiences) but I am very selective about who I subject our people to.

I notice that many of my friends who used to be full-time evangelists have now become pastors. I'm not sure if they felt it was time for a change in their calling, or if they simply needed more stability. I don't fault them in the least. I'm just curious if a guy can make a living anymore strictly as an evangelist.

Nature Boy Florida

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16646 **7/24/17 5:04 pm**

I think the traveling evangelist now appears to be a one service guy:

Tim Tebow like motivational speaker,
Christian Comedian:
Woman's ministry guest speaker,
Children's evangelist,
or a Perry Stone MannaFest speaker
etc...

These same folks are often seen around the country used during a weekend - Fri Night, all day Saturday meeting.

I just don't see anyone doing a week long revival and making a living at it.
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Carolyn Smith

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5923 **7/24/17 9:01 pm**

We have several state evangelists in ENC that stay quite busy. Jimmy Jones, Mike Mills (The Mills Family) and Danny Byrd are three that I can name.

We were told when we traveled doing Family Crusades that we were missing out on half the chance for support if we did not have a product table. Most evangelists supplement offerings by having a product table & selling TShirts, CDs, etc.

You can check out Danny Byrd & Mike Mills on Facebook. Danny & his wife are booked every week and sometimes do week long meetings.

I agree that not many people are doing that anymore. It doesn't help that a lot of ministers have other pastors do their revivals...or that a lot of churches can't afford to pay much.

Though I will say that our best offerings came from midsize to smaller churches. Larger churches usually had a set offering amount and that was it, no matter what came in the offerings. We did offering competitions as part of the crusade. We had a friend of ours tell us that we would have gotten a larger offering had we just walked in with a Bible rather than all the equipment we brought to do children's ministry. (Sad, huh?)
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Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **7/24/17 10:04 pm**

Thanks for reminding me about Bro Jones. He and I ministered together at a revival back in the late 90's at my brother's church. I remember telling the people "not to drink the Kool-Aid" (sure he's never heard that joke before ). I'm glad to hear he's still going strong !

I recently saw where two former state evangelists in another state are now pastoring. That's what sparked my interest.

Old Time Country Preacher

Re: Can an evangelist make a living anymore?

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **7/24/17 11:34 pm**

Quiet Wyatt

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **7/25/17 1:11 am**

I have had some good friends who were full-time evangelists. When I found out from them what they averaged in income, I honestly could not see how they could make it financially. My impression is that unless one is able to consistently book mainly the bigger churches with the bigger offerings, or else unless one regularly is able to sell a good amount of merchandise, being an evangelist is going to be very difficult financially, at best.

bradfreeman

Acts-dicted Posts: 9027 **7/25/17 6:49 am**

Unemployment is down. Believers should be able to find decent paying jobs if they're looking. That way they won't have to bug pastors for meetings.

I don't know if there are any tent-making jobs out there.

Get a day-shift job and you should be able to preach evenings and weekends!
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wayne

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1274 **7/25/17 7:55 am**

Quiet Wyatt

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **7/25/17 10:56 am**

By the way, the evangelists I refer to drove older, very high mileage cars, usually stayed in the parsonage with us or in a discount motel, got by on very humble means, and never begged for money nor complained about how poor they were.

Aaron Scott

Evangelists have largely went the way of tent revivals...

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 **7/25/17 11:15 am**

In the 60s and 70s, Church of God evangelism burned more brightly than, I think, any time before or since. Every church (at least in the South) seemed to want to book evangelists two, three, four, and more times a year. NOT for a Sunday through Wednesday revival, but for a full week (typically with Saturday night included). And often these revivals went on for two, three and more weeks.

But Church of God evangelists have pretty much gone out of style. They are about as common as a roadside tent revival. Yes, every now and then, you find one, but they are rare.

In the 70s, Carl Richardson put together, in my opinion, the finest State Evangelism team every (included Raymond Culpepper, if I heard right). My dad was also privileged to be on the Team. Bro. Richardson help these evangelists by supporting them, by talking them up, by giving them individualized poster for advertising purposes (that's common today, but back then, many evangelists didn't have a "media packet").

But today, I can name exactly TWO evangelists in Florida: Harold Hanks and Carl Thomas(?). Both are exceptional speakers, reminding me of evangelists back in the day. Very simply, we moved away from the emphasis on evangelists. In my day, they seemed like (for lack of a better word) "rock stars." They were the front-liners on a mission from God to change the world--and they preached like it, too!

Now that this season seems to have passed (or been left behind, whatever), we have come to REDEFINE "evangelism" as something more like just common witnessing or missionary work. I'm not sure it wasn't redefined I order to make us all feel better about leaving the evangelists behind (so to speak). "Yes, we still have evangelists! We are ALL evangelists when we witness for the Lord. And missionaries really do what the early church evangelists did."

And yet, despite the redefinition (if that's what it is), I KNOW that the evangelist of yesteryear, the one that traveled a state or region, preaching revivals from church to church, and winning people to the Lord in virtually every place they went, THAT was utterly pleasing to--and blessed by--God Himself.

I cannot be convinced that evangelism (as we knew it then) has morphed into something that look more like evangelism-lite than what we once experienced. I have wondered if the reason that we see or hear of so few revivals in this time (and by revival, I mean REVIVAL!) is because we see and hear of so few evangelists. We cannot phase out one of the ministries that God set in the church and think that there will not be a negative effect.

Want revival? Find an evangelist...and have one.

wayne

John the Baptist

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1274 **7/25/17 11:49 am**

We need these kinds of preachers again! We need those who preach it like it is and ready people for the return of Christ. Once the evangelist is done, the church removes the grave clothes.

Carolyn Smith

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5923 **7/25/17 5:53 pm**

The evangelist does not bring revival in his suitcase (or his motorhome.)

The Church needs hearts hungry for the presence of the Lord and a move of the Spirit!
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Cojak

Re: Evangelists have largely went the way of tent revivals...

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/25/17 9:21 pm**

Resident Skeptic

Acts-dicted Posts: 8065 **7/25/17 11:17 pm**

Link

Acts-perienced Poster Posts: 11849 **7/26/17 4:08 am**

I'm not against revival meetings, but I do question whether going around in preaching in churches really has much to do with what an 'evangelist' is in the Bible.

Philip the evangelist went down to Samaria and preached to a bunch of people who weren't Christians yet. He preached the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch who wasn't a Christian yet.

I had a conversation with a Charismatic theologian on Facebook the other day. He said his dad would knock on tens of thousands of doors and lead a thousand people to the Lord every year.
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wayne

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1274 **7/26/17 7:18 am**

Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **7/26/17 3:06 pm**

Link makes a good point. I suppose it's semantics but perhaps "revivalist" would be more accurate than what we typically call an "evangelist" these days. It does seem that the more biblical role of an evangelist is to preach Christ to the unsaved.

Having said that, I do appreciate the ministry of the "revivalist". The body of Christ needs to be revived on a continual basis. Pastors need to be refreshed too. It's a shame that some rotten apples have spoiled things for truly sincere "evangelists". Admittedly, I normally invite other pastors for reasons I have stated earlier. But we do invite those with traveling ministries from time to time. Sam Nadler is always a blessing when he comes.

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/26/17 4:59 pm**

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **7/26/17 5:07 pm**

It is hard to see a reason for the change from the 'long revivals' that I did not like as a teenager in the parsonage. Our church had a six week revival once (no nights off) and I had to attend every service. Sad

But the standard was 1-2 full weeks.

We in the pew are responsible for the decline as well as pastors. We over load ourselves with 'activities'. There are obligations of kids in sports, music and arts (both pastor and members kids). Many folk work two jobs to make ends meet.

Many things 'requiring' our attention did not exist in the 30-70's time frame. Also bro Jack and bro Bill did not own a 30k$ boat that needed to run late and on Sundays. Embarassed

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Da Sheik

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1865 **7/26/17 11:54 pm**

Cojak, you just reminded me of a funny memory. I was serving alongside my brother and working a full-time job too. We had an evangelist that had been preaching a revival for two solid weeks. Then, my brother stood up and said "I feel the revival needs to go on." I remember being so deflated that I was going to have to spend another week going to church every night Embarassed

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