The business of evangelism is old, but its methods are constantly changing. In recent years, evangelism in America has undergone a little-noticed but profound change in its organization, tactics, and culture. There is no better illustration of the new way of doing business than the appearance of evangelical activists in Boston, of all places.
Boston isn’t a likely candidate for missionary activity, but evangelicals have long dreamed of capturing the birthplace of the American Revolution. Only in the past few years have they found an efficient means to launch their long hoped-for revival.
They call it “church planting.” Missionary preachers create and house new congregations, often in inexpensive or state-subsidized locales. Sometimes the church planters establish their own worship services at existing yet underused church buildings. Other times, they rent out or borrow space in community centers, movie theaters, hotels, and other facilities. One relatively new tool of the church planting strategy is the public school system. In public schools across the country, the new evangelists have discovered facilities that can be made available to churches at relatively low or no cost—except, presumably, to local taxpayers. In some places, including New York City, the churches have not paid any rent at all.
Quote:
At a Sunday service in February 2015, evangelical celebrity Lou Engle, whose international ministry planted the Justice House of Prayer in Cambridge, took to the podium, exhorting his followers to use the scriptures as a “battering ram.” “Boston is the Jericho of America,” he said. “When intellectualism falls out of Boston, the whole nation will be swept into revival,” he added enthusiastically.
Quote:
In September 2012, just prior to moving to Boston to plant a church, Pastor Al Abdulla of the California-based Reality Church noted Boston’s “massive cultural influence” and its reputation as “the cradle of Modern America,” before taking a disapproving tone. “But today only two percent of the area attends an evangelical church,” he stated.
Quote:
New England is losing the remnants of its Christian memory. We need a new generation of Christians who will bring Gospel anew to New England. New England was the cradle of Colonial America. Is it now the cradle of America’s secular future? . . . We’re praying for another great awakening in the New England area, for a new fire to sweep through.
Quote:
Whether the new church plants in Boston will succeed in evangelizing the city or in “churching” enough people to move the dial on voting behavior remains to be seen.
They sound like they want to spread Christianity to a place where it is lacking. I'm not really down with these extreme evangelicals, but point me to the crazy.
I don't see what the problem is here, except them using facilities that are tax payer subsidized. It might be your hometown but it's not your town. Boston Atheists and the Secular Coalition for Massachusetts are groups in my eyes not unlike the church they gather, do events help the community, etc..
Massachusetts is not a majority secular state but its close sitting at around 46%. I don't think you need to worry about some overnight conversion of "your town" but people are free to move in and they don't have to check their beliefs at the door.
I will defend their right to believe in a sky god the same as I will defend gay marriage, I don't think I can selectively choose a group of people and say their rights don't matter because I don't "believe" over a group of people I believe in but don't belong to.
They sound like they want to spread Christianity to a place where it is lacking. I'm not really down with these extreme evangelicals, but point me to the crazy.
Here you go:
Quote:
“Boston is the Jericho of America,” he said. “When intellectualism falls out of Boston, the whole nation will be swept into revival,” he added enthusiastically.
Quote:
We’re praying for another great awakening in the New England area, for a new fire to sweep through.
Oh okay I see. Well he's wrong to think a change in Boston will absolutely cause a change nationwide.
The second quote, however, is fine. I hope you don't think he wants to set the town on fire. In many Christian sects, 'fire' is a term used in place of 'the Holy Spirit'. He means he wants the spirit of God to sweep through New England and bring people to Christ. Not crazy, just religious.
I do believe like it happened with Roe, the marriage ruling could potentially mobilize a silent current of extreme conservatism in USA. Victory blindness would be the worst enemy of the LGBT community and secular Americans and help people like these mad evangelicals be successful in their quest.
at these people wanting to regress Boston into Salem circa 1800
