Young Life Staff Removed Over Evangelism Debate

Christianity Today reports of an entire Young Life staff has been removed as a result of their views of evangelism. The Young Life staff of Raleigh-Chapel Hill, North Carolina was removed after the area director circulated a paper criticizing Young Life’s “traditional approach to evangelism.”

Specifically, the area director was uncomfortable with evangelistic methods that emphasize a student’s separation from God due to sin. Rather, this director wanted to emphasize the idea that the students are God’s children who are simply lost. In support of the director, a sociologist at Notre Dame responded: “My reading is that Young Life leadership doesn’t have the theological sophistication to know what they’re dealing with in Jeff. And it comes across as liberalism.”

I don’t pretend to know all of the details of this situation, but my first reaction was one of concern. I was concerned that Young Life was mandating a method of evangelism and, therefore, the debate was over methodology. I believe that there are many methods of evangelism that are biblically appropriate depending upon the person, circumstances, etc., etc.

However, after reading Young Life’s Non-Negotiables of Young Life’s Gospel Presentation, document, I realize that method is not the issue. In fact, Young Life’s document specifically says that methods can change and it is not intended to squelch creativity. Rather, theology is the issue. Young Life responded with their theology of evangelism, which includes: 1) Christ, 2) the reality of sin, 3) the cross, 4) the resurrection, and 5) a call to discipleship.

There is an important theological distinction between the former director and Young Life. The former director is operating from a theology that says “all people are God’s children.” Young Life is operating from a theology that says “all people are sinners and are separated from God’s family.”

Young Life is correct and is defending sound biblical doctrine:

• John 1:12-13 - it is those who believe in Jesus Christ that are “given the right to become God’s children.”
• Romans 8:14-17 - it is those who are living by the Holy Spirit who are God’s adopted children.
• Ephesians 2:3 - those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are “children of wrath.”

The theology that all people are God’s children is a common but potentially dangerous theology. We must hold firm to a theology that says all people are created by God and all people are created in God’s image, but only those who believe in Jesus Christ are a part of God’s family.