Archive: How Ann Became an Evangelist

by Bob Withers, Pastor, Ball’s Chapel and Fairfield United Methodist Church
Copy Editor, The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, West Virginia

Pastors often hear their parishioners say, “Oh, if God would just give me a message to take to someone.” Or, “I would tell my neighbor about Jesus if I could be sure it’s God’s will.” These thoughts filled Ann Casto’s mind as she traveled to Clarksburg, West Virginia, in a van filled with preachers and other nervous laypeople to participate in a statewide witnessing weekend.

Ann, 47, was no stranger to church work. Since her husband, John, was an area captain for the state Department of Natural Resources and subject to frequent transfers, Ann had worshiped with several congregations. Now at Fairfield United Methodist Church near Glenwood, she was teacher of the ladies’ Bible class. Her pastor had prodded her into participation in this witnessing event. But somehow Ann was jittery about treading through doors usually darkened only by ministers. Personal evangelism—everybody favors it but nobody does it!

As the van neared Clarksburg, Ann’s fears lingered. She was obsessed by a fear of confusing someone—saying the wrong thing and adding to a prospect’s spiritual perplexity.

“Lord, grant a miracle this weekend,” she prayed, “so I’ll know You are in the arrangement.”

Ann and a local escort, Nina, were asked to call at the home of a 57-year-old semi-invalid named Ruth, whose husband worked out of town. Her only weekday companion at home was a 13-year-old son, Billy.

Ruth had already turned away one visitor that day because she wasn’t feeling well. Several health problems had led to lengthy hospital stays and virtual incapacitation. She was scheduled to visit a hospital the next day for minor surgery.

“She may not give you much time,” a friend had warned Nina.

The prospect admitted her visitors but gave them a cool reception.

A short, heavily-built woman with thinning auburn hair, Ruth was not an emotional person. Remaining quiet and nibbling on something, she seemed uptight and made no effort to turn off a nearby television. It was obvious she didn’t intend to open up.

Through faltering conversation Ann began to see Ruth’s extreme loneliness. She was a member of Broad Oaks Church in Clarksburg, but hadn’t been counted among its worshipers for several years. One thing became certain: she was not sure of her salvation.

After a few minutes, Ann sensed the Holy Spirit taking over. Her fears began to melt away as Ruth described her lengthy illness and her eroded relationship with God. She talked of problems with her family, finances, alcohol, and a first marriage that ended in disaster. Ann felt an overwhelming sense of compassion for her hostess.

“I’ve done too much; I’m too deep in sin,” Ruth lamented. “No one, not even God, cares for me.”

“The Lord cares about you, Ruth,” Ann quickly countered. “Jesus loves you and died on the cross to atone for your sin. He wants your soul AND body to be healed.” She explained the plan of salvation, the need to confess sin to God, and even the possibility of healing supernaturally as well as naturally.

Ann told her prospect, who now listened attentively, about how God helped her through the ordeal of losing her 14-year-old son to an unexplained ailment.

“Would YOU be afraid to die?” Ruth pointedly demanded of her visitor.

Ann was prompt and firm. “I’m sure I wouldn’t when my time has come. But I think God has more plans for me.”

Ann reacted politely to objection after objection.

“Ann had an answer for everything,” Nina recalled later. “And she wasn’t pushing or cramming. She said everything in an easygoing way.”

To her amazement Ann found that the dialogue wasn’t strained as she thought it would be, not hard work at all. “Everything seemed to just fall into place,” she said, crediting the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a solid grounding in the Word.

Finally, she asked, “Ruth, may we pray with you?”

Somehow, the shut-in’s shell had been shattered. Ruth’s eyes were brimming with tears as she nodded in affirmation. Her guests knelt beside her chair, placing their hands on her head. Ann began to pray audibly.

When the prayer was over, all three were crying. A radiance—punctuated with a warm smile—had transformed Ruth’s face.

“I sure do feel good,” Ruth declared. Her despondency had disappeared. “You all really care, don’t you?”

Outside, Ann and Nina hugged each other tearfully. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” Nina exclaimed.

After more calls, the ladies met 19 other visiting pairs at Broad Oaks Church for a sharing session. They began to learn that God works through His people—whether they have ordination papers or not. And they rejoiced!

This story has a sobering postscript.

From the moment of Ann’s and Nina’s visit, Ruth’s destiny seemed to turn. She began to tell her family the good news: ” Now I know I’m saved.” She telephoned neighbors, describing the encounter and affirming that now nothing separated her soul from God.

Five days later, Billy got up to go to school and found his mother’s body on her bedroom floor. God had called her home.

Ann, Nina, Ruth’s family, Broad Oaks Church, and many others rejoiced that God had used the women in such a marvelous way in reconciling Ruth to Himself. And they were equally as glad that the pair had been obedient to God’s leading.

Their story needs to be repeated again and again. Others should enjoy this victory of rescuing a precious soul from spiritual death. How many Ruths are there in the world? Their time is running out, and they don’t know Christ.

Somehow, the church has to awake to the call of the Great Commission and realize that evangelism is everybody’s privilege. Nowhere in Scripture is it reserved for pastors. In fact, Acts 8:1,4 shows that when persecution forced Christians out of Jerusalem it also fanned the fires of evangelism, for they went everywhere preaching the Word. Notice that the Apostles, church leaders of the day, stayed behind. The “church members” carried the message.

Paul sets the church’s priorities straight in Ephesians 4:11-12. There he states that it is the pastor’s job to equip or train the church members. They, in turn, must do the work of ministry. Here is not a view of an ordained minister evangelizing and answering to a church full of critics. It is a picture of an evangelizing membership with a pastor who is their trainer, coach, and cheerleader.

Today many congregations have lost this vision. With few exceptions, they exist as an inert army of believers who cower in their barracks, expecting their generals to wield the Sword of Truth for them, while their own swords remain tucked away in their scabbards. Meanwhile, millions around the world perish without Christ.

In a nation where three out of four homes are un-churched, and 45, 000,000 children are a part of nobody’s Sunday school, it doesn’t take a mental giant to realize that the ordained ministry must enlist help from the pews. Otherwise, America and the world will never be won for Jesus Christ.

Paul’s challenge to the Romans speaks loudly to us:

“…Now it is high time to wake out of sleep … the night is far spent, the day is at hand. …”