Sammy Tippit recently attended a summit with fifteen evangelists, who were from throughout North America.  They gathered to discuss the state of evangelism in America and what they could do to encourage a new generation of evangelists.   

This summit was sponsored by Jerry Drace Evangelistic Association and was held in Jackson, Tennessee.   The summit was very much an interactive discussion with the attendees sharing their thoughts, ideas and desires for evangelism in America.

The men who attended the conference represented various types of evangelism.  There were two medical doctors that attended who are family physicians, but also are involved in evangelistic ministry.  One of them is an illusionist and the other has done research on the cross and what happened when Christ died from a physician’s viewpoint.  There were also men who led student, music, and international evangelism.

“We talked about integrity and character.  We discussed methods of evangelism and some of the reasons that there has been decline in utilizing the evangelist in churches around America,” said Tippit.  “We really shared our hearts on these issues.” 

He continues, “One thing that I came away with is that there is a great need here in North America for a spiritual awakening, a revival that would reinvigorate the ministry of the evangelist.  I came away with a burden to see God work to raise up a new generation of evangelists and began to think what can we do as a ministry to help that process take place.  I also think that I came away with a greater sense of a need to raise up a new generation of young men who have a passion and a fire burning in their hearts to reach their contemporaries for the gospel.” 

Ephesians 4 speaks of the role of evangelists in the church and how God wanted them to be a part of the church.  Every person at the summit agreed that there was a great need in today’s world for a revival of that office. 

Tippit said, “We all came from different perspectives and tried to talk about what can be done here in America for the upcoming generation.  We all had this deep concern that the ministry and the office of the evangelist is not being used as fully as it should be used.” 

He continues, “We also recognize one of the great problems is the financing of the evangelist.  There was discussion of how finances can be done with integrity and not be a turnoff to the general public.”

Tippit said that he is trying to digest the ideas that came from the summit.  In the next few months, he hopes to implement a strategy so that he can help ignite a passion for revival and evangelism among this upcoming generation of American Christian evangelists.  He believes just as Ephesians 4 emphasizes, that evangelists will play a vital role in the years to come within the church.  His hope is that STM can help evangelists around North America accomplish these dreams, goals, and ideas for the sake of the cross.