The Methodist missionary, E. Stanley Jones, traveled to India in the early 1900s and wrote several books on the experience. In one of those books, he recounts sharing the gospel message with an attorney, who afterwards thanked him and said that few missionaries bothered to share the message of Jesus with members of the upper castes in Indian society. The attorney believed that people like him would like to talk about the Christian faith if the person were to “come in the right way.” So, Jones began what became an evangelistic system that engaged intellectuals in India. It began with public lectures and question and answer times where Jones spoke about Jesus (not Christianity) and his kingdom and pointed to the implications of following him as it related to the important issues of the day in India. The Q&A times afterwards sometimes lasted for 2 hours. Jones says he was “grilled” but the intellectuals appreciated his honesty and transparency. These lectures were then followed by Roundtable gatherings where more personal conversations about faith took place. Jones was convinced that if disciples would talk about Jesus and his kingdom, even alongside other religious traditions, that Christ would be made known through the power of the sprit.
E. Stanley Jones’ witness and approach to sharing Jesus is just as relevant today as it was over 100 years ago. In the Western Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church, around 75 members gathered for two days in October at the Sharing the Good News…in the Right Way Conference. They were there to learn more about E. Stanley Jones’ approach and discover together what it could mean for their ministry in a post-Christian, religiously pluralistic world.
Jack Jackson, the Foundation’s president, was one of four presenters at the gathering. He challenged attendees to think about how to intentionally bring the gospel into public life, wrestling with how to create space for intellectual conversations that foster coming to faith. For example, how can podcasts, TV shows, books, or other media be a way to engage people in conversations around faith? “The Chosen” TV series was shared as an example that has had such an impact and has been received beyond traditional communication methods used by churches.
While creating space is important, Jack also emphasized that it’s crucial to intentionally create systems that provide more and more personal interaction and connection with the receiver, ultimately inviting them to a transformed life in relationship with Jesus Christ that flows outward in love of neighbor.
Two other presenters at the gathering also shared a connection to The Foundation for Evangelism. Dr. Rob Haynes who spoke on E. Stanley Jones’ Roundtable Discussions, and Dr. Kim Reisman who provided the final wrap-up of the gathering were both Harry Denman Fellows who now work with World Methodist Evangelism. Rev. Tom Albin, Director of Development and Mission Coordinator for United Christian Ashrams International, spoke to the gathering on Jones’ movement of the Christian Ashram in the 1930s.
So, what does it mean to “come in the right way?” E. Stanley Jones’ experience suggests that a desire to be approached in a respectful, humble way doesn’t just come from intellectuals, but all people at all levels. The conversations at the gathering in Western Pennsylvania affirmed that it’s important to understand that different approaches are needed for different groups, and that a single church can’t reach everyone. The gathering provided attendees, not with a formula or “how-to”, but instead dared them to think and dream beyond the conventional ways of sharing the gospel message and to explore what that looks like for the Church as a whole but also at home in their local church and community.
To learn more about this event go to https://www.wpaumc.org/eventdetail/19057937
