Open-Air Preaching

[Erick_Ybarra]

So was it disrespectful and impersonal for Paul to preach to the Athenians in Acts 17?

Was it disrespectful for the 12 apostles to preach in Jerusalem on the day of Pentacost?

Was it disrepectful for Paul and Barnabas and Silas to preach the gospel in all the cities they traveled? Or the synogogues they interuppted.

 

[Lochias]

So was it disrespectful and impersonal for Paul to preach to the Athenians in Acts 17?

Was it disrespectful for the 12 apostles to preach in Jerusalem on the day of Pentacost?

Was it disrepectful for Paul and Barnabas and Silas to preach the gospel in all the cities they traveled? Or the synogogues they interuppted.

How many cities in the US haven’t heard of God, at this point? I’m guessing that would be 0.

 

[Bezant]

Hello,

For years now I have seen hundreds of different open-air preachers and many door-knocking evangelists. However, I’ve never seen one who is Catholic. Is there a reason?
Do Catholics not go door-to-door or open-air preach? If now, how is evangelism done? The process of preaching the gospel in the great commission?

These days that kind of evangelism isn’t the done thing, and it’s actually not effective. While I can’t provide a straightforward answer as to why Catholics generally don’t evangelise this way, I do think it has to do with the fact that the Second Coming and salvation of un-baptised are less urgent matters to Catholics than being on good terms with non-believers.

When Catholics evangelise, they tend to take an “open door” or “open offer” approach, if you will, between people who already have a relationship. In other words, it’s making non-believers feel welcome when they want to convert and leaving them alone when they don’t want to, but preserving the friendship whether he decides to convert or not.

 

[Hunter24]

So was it disrespectful and impersonal for Paul to preach to the Athenians in Acts 17?

Was it disrespectful for the 12 apostles to preach in Jerusalem on the day of Pentacost?

Was it disrepectful for Paul and Barnabas and Silas to preach the gospel in all the cities they traveled? Or the synogogues they interuppted.

It is one thing to have a personal conversation with a person, its another to stand in a public place and spout fire and brimstone scripture demanding people convert or burn in hell.

 

[JRKH]

So was it disrespectful and impersonal for Paul to preach to the Athenians in Acts 17?

Was it disrespectful for the 12 apostles to preach in Jerusalem on the day of Pentacost?

Was it disrepectful for Paul and Barnabas and Silas to preach the gospel in all the cities they traveled? Or the synogogues they interuppted.

Short answer is that no it was not disrespectful…But it was also a very different time and place and culture. Before the days of “mass media” communications, people would come out to the “town square” to listen to speakers and debates and such. It was common and people would not have thought it particularly odd or disrespectful or whatever.

Today things are very different - The smart thing is to recognize this difference and to adjust how one goes about evangelizing.

Paul did what he did, the way he did it because that is what worked when and where he was. Today we need to do the same thing…do what works when and where we are.

Peace
James

 

[Erick_Ybarra]

In my understanding of open-air preaching, I do not have in mind hell-fire breathing screamers who condemn everyone.

I mean seminars that done in the open-air at a park, things of this nature. Which cover a broad topic like “What is the Christian Faith”? Or “Suffering”, etc,etc

 

[Cristiano]

Just walk in front an abortion clinic for the next 40 days and you will see how Catholics spread the gospel.

 

[JRKH]

In my understanding of open-air preaching, I do not have in mind hell-fire breathing screamers who condemn everyone.

I mean seminars that done in the open-air at a park, things of this nature. Which cover a broad topic like “What is the Christian Faith”? Or “Suffering”, etc,etc

I think something like that would be nice…until the Atheists come along and run you off for teaching religion on “public land”…

Peace
James

 

[Isaiah45_9]

Hello,

For years now I have seen hundreds of different open-air preachers and many door-knocking evangelists. However, I’ve never seen one who is Catholic. Is there a reason?

Do Catholics not go door-to-door or open-air preach?

If now, how is evangelism done? The process of preaching the gospel in the great commission?

Peter was the first open-air Catholic preacher way back when.

 

[Chris_Etzel]

So was it disrespectful and impersonal for Paul to preach to the Athenians in Acts 17?

Was it disrespectful for the 12 apostles to preach in Jerusalem on the day of Pentacost?

Was it disrepectful for Paul and Barnabas and Silas to preach the gospel in all the cities they traveled? Or the synogogues they interuppted.

I was thinking this very same thing yesterday! We have to examine the audience. Paul was a Roman citizen and probably understood Roman spiritual life fairly well. He was also Jewish so understood synagogue practices. So when he was addressing an audience, it was in a way he knew to be effective and it was usually to an audience he likely pre-determined would be receptive. Remember, he did try inititally to just run out there and preach it, but nearly got stoned to death for it. Not everybody likes a street preacher.

The Apostles on the other hand were Jewish. Speaking in a Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem was second nature to them and they also knew most likely had sized up their audience.

I don’t recall - well I haven’t read Acts in a couple months - in Acts or the Epistles of an unsuspecting group being accosted by an unsolicited street-preaching Apostle. The Apostles in Acts on Pentecost were under the inspiration of the Spirit, who caused everyone around them to look up and say “Woah, I can understand these folks in my own language!” and then asked if they were drunk. So there was an initial inquiry by the audience. It wasn’t necessarily unsolicited proselytizing.

In Paul’s Epistles and Luke’s Acts they show even further that the Apostles and Paul were in agreement that Paul should address Gentiles and Peter the Jews. It was targeted evangelism.

Jesus himself in the Gospels (and at the Resurrection) limited his discussion to Jews that were following him around (scribes, Pharisees and disciples, etc.) but his audience was known to him and he was known to them.

So it probably wasn’t disrespectful at all for Paul, Peter, Stephen, James … any of them to preach the Gospel that way because it probably wasn’t unsolicited. Regardless, the times I remember of what one might consider unsolicited (some of Paul’s interactions in Athens perhaps ?) the preachers nearly got killed or jailed because the audience wasn’t receptive.

Just my thoughts anyway. I’m really glad you brought this point up. I think it is a valid question to ask and this was the conclusion I came to personally. Individual results may vary.

 

[Malachi4U]

I plan to go on a pilgrimage to Washington D.C. in January of 2013 to support life. Catholics have done and continue to preach in public. The problem? We don’t always do it like non-Catholics. Look at Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She preached publicly everyday of her life. Unlike an annoying person yelling at you as you fill you car with gas or yelling at you while you wait at a red light, she preached with her “works”. Her faith was active and works flowed out of it Just as stated in James chapter 2. Father Maximilian Kolbe, Saint Of Auschwitz, preached with the works in his life that flowed out of his faith. Both of these Catholics street preached with their actions - not necessarily an annoying mouth. I think today, Catholics just choose to preach with their actions and talk of theology only with those people who they know. Think of all the help the guy I see everyday at the gas station yelling at people could do if he just went to the homeless shelter and treated the sick?

I also lived in Utah and I am familiar with the effectiveness of door to door preaching (i.e. proselytizing at its best) Look at how fast both the Jehovah Witness and Latter Day Saint churches have expanded. From what they have told me, Catholics are their number one target because they are the easiest to convert. In Utah, most Mormons that I new who were converted to that faith were former Catholics.

In conclusion, I think that both works and door to door preaching work best today. (Door to door missionary duties may be a work too?)

 

[onemangang]

Hello,

For years now I have seen hundreds of different open-air preachers and many door-knocking evangelists. However, I’ve never seen one who is Catholic. Is there a reason?

Do Catholics not go door-to-door or open-air preach?

If now, how is evangelism done? The process of preaching the gospel in the great commission?

Out here in Los Angeles, I’ve seen some Nuns handing out tracts and sharing the gospel around the USC campus

Most of it done at home, but we could always do a better job.

 

[kempo1]

Doesnt the bible speak of us not to be out there drawing attention to ourselves.(might not be wording it correct but you you get the point) this reminds me of when the new orlean saints won the superbowl and we all ran out to the local acadamy sports. A "street preacher"came out to the big celebration where we were all at waiting to get a cap or t shirt and people were riding by in cars and yelling and having fun. All races were present with no fights or arguements. He was condeming everyone telling people they were sinning and all kind of judgemental things as if everyone there were not a christian. He was trying to hand each person a flyer. He was annoying and offensive. To me its all about themselves and their church trying to draw them in. You dont have to go out and offend or annoy folks to evangelize them. I dont know if i agree with these tactics. Sometimes they get themselves in trouble the way they approach people. The sreet preachers that recently were attacked by the muslims in dearborn michigan is an example. They went to a muslim fest screaming and hollering at these people and nearly paid with there lives. I just think they approach it wrong. I do agree we are called to do evangelize but is this the way? Are these preachers just trying to draw attention to themselves or Jesus?

 

[Hunter24]

I plan to go on a pilgrimage to Washington D.C. in January of 2013 to support life. Catholics have done and continue to preach in public. The problem? We don’t always do it like non-Catholics. Look at Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She preached publicly everyday of her life. Unlike an annoying person yelling at you as you fill you car with gas or yelling at you while you wait at a red light, she preached with her “works”. Her faith was active and works flowed out of it Just as stated in James chapter 2. Father Maximilian Kolbe, Saint Of Auschwitz, preached with the works in his life that flowed out of his faith. Both of these Catholics street preached with their actions - not necessarily an annoying mouth. I think today, Catholics just choose to preach with their actions and talk of theology only with those people who they know. Think of all the help the guy I see everyday at the gas station yelling at people could do if he just went to the homeless shelter and treated the sick?

I also lived in Utah and I am familiar with the effectiveness of door to door preaching (i.e. proselytizing at its best) Look at how fast both the Jehovah Witness and Latter Day Saint churches have expanded. From what they have told me, Catholics are their number one target because they are the easiest to convert. In Utah, most Mormons that I new who were converted to that faith were former Catholics.

In conclusion, I think that both works and door to door preaching work best today. (Door to door missionary duties may be a work too?)

Its because most catholic chidlren arnt well versed in the bible unless the go to private school. then they can be shown selective bible quotes in which support their position.