At the end of March Brad Isbell, Wilson Van Hooser and I discussed whether Revivalism can be Reformed. As usual, great fun was had by all. Here’s the video:
Here’s the audio-only episode in the Presbycast Libsyn feed. Subscribe to the Presbycast in any podcast app.
Here’s the HB audio archive:
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Brad Isbell
Brad Isbell is a ruling elder at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Oak Ridge, TN, board member of More In The PCA, co-host of the Presbycast podcast, editorial member of Presbyterian Polity, and treasurer of the Heidelberg Reformation Association.
More by Brad Isbell ›R. Scott Clark
R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.
More by R. Scott Clark ›
“Godly Head Wag”, the next great contemporary Christian band!
Dr. Clark,
I am a retired OPC minister. Lately, I have gone to the University of New Mexico with a ruling elder from a Bible Presbyterian Church. I have not done that before. After I returned home and started thinking about our time together, I was challenged that what was being sought for in that type of evangelism was a decision, not discipleship. My friend followed Ray Comfort in his approach to students. It reminded me of the Four Spiritual Laws and Evangelism Explosion for which I have received training in both. The problem I have always had is that there is no focus or plan to follow through with discipleship.
Therefore, I have been thinking about how evangelistic outreach might be done with a view toward discipleship instead of decision. Do you have any recommended bibliography that might be helpful to me?
John Hunt
Hi John,
I share your concerns. Most modern evangelical models for evangelism are rooted in the 19th-century reivivalist paradigm. I go at this two ways:
1) To distinguish between evangelism and witness. Evangelism proper belongs to the ordained ministry of the church and happens when pastors proclaim the good news as part of the discharge of the duties of their office.
2) Laity ought to be able to give witness to the faith and to their faith.
I lay out this project in “Encouraging Lay Witnessing” in Faithful and Fruitful: Essays for Elders and Deacons, ed. William Boekestein and Steven Swets (Reformed Fellowship Inc., 2019), 247–61.
See also:
Resources On Evangelism And Witness
I’ve argued for a more relational approach to evangelism.