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Christianity Today, November, 2009 |

'O, Evangelicos!'

We need not abandon our name—just live up to it.

Philip Yancey | posted 11/18/2009 10:31AM

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In one encouraging trend, the fundamentalist-social gospel divide that marked the church a century ago has long since disappeared. Now evangelical organizations lead the way in such efforts as relief and development, microcredit, HIV/AIDS ministries, and outreach to sex workers. I have visited thriving ministries among the garbage dump communities outside Manila, Cairo, and Guatemala City. Evangelicals have taken seriously Jesus' call to care for "the least of these."

I recently heard from a friend who visited a barrio in São Paulo, Brazil. He grew nervous as he noticed the foot soldiers of drug lords standing guard holding automatic weapons. They were glowering at him, a gringo invading their turf. "Then the chief drug lord of that neighborhood noticed my T-shirt, which had the logo of a local Pentecostal church. He broke out in a big smile: 'O, evangelicos!' he called out, giving us hugs. Over the years, that church had cared for the children of the barrio, and now we were joyfully welcomed."

Some of my friends believe we should abandon the word evangelical. I do not. I simply yearn for us to live up to the meaning of our name.

Related Elsewhere:

Previous columns by Philip Yancey are available on our site, and include:

Intensive Care Week | Thoughts while sitting beside my brother as his brain and body failed. (September 14, 2009)

A Whole Good World Outside | Opening our blinds to the prevailing wonder of creation. (July 6, 2009)

Surveying the Wondrous Cross | Understanding the Atonement is about more than grasping a theory. (May 27, 2009)

Previous articles on evangelicalism include:

In the Beginning, Grace | Evangelicals desperately need spiritual and moral renewal—on that everyone agrees. But what do we do about it? (October 2, 2009)

The Case for Christendom | A renewed sense of Christian culture could be the key to younger evangelicals' angst. (August 24, 2009)

The Great Evangelical Anxiety | Why change is not our most important product. (July 16, 2009)

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November 2009, Vol. 53, No. 11

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PastorJeff

Posted: December 02, 2009 9:55 AM


Phil Yancey never ceases to impress me. What a refreshing word of truth spoken in love. Thank you Mr. Yancey for your work over the years, the books and articles always enrich and challenge. I believe they truly reflect the heart of our Lord. May you continue to be His voice in years to come.

William

Posted: December 01, 2009 8:54 PM

Thank you, Philip Yancey, for sharing your insights with us for all these years. Your writing is like an oasis in the desert for me. Your books, especially The Jesus I Never Knew and What's So Amazing About Grace, profoundly impacted my Christian walk in a positive way. And, more recently, your articles in CT articulated exactly what I was feeling in regards to the election, race relations, etc. God bless you and yours, my brother in Christ.