“Non-violent evangelism”: a look at how members of evangelical faith-based organizations share faith with service recipients in Southern, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT

This present work shares data from a mixed-methods study in Southern Ontario, Canada, focused on understanding faith sharing (often called evangelism or proselytism) within evangelical faith-based organizations. The study figures against the backdrop of the relatively scant literature on understanding evangelism in social service settings. The findings reveal multiple ways in which faith-based organizations seek to evangelize clients “non-violently”, i.e., in a fashion that is not forceful or coercive. Here we focus on three: (1) through sharing and imparting a worldview; (2) through faith as a service modality; and (3) through social support. Analyzed against the backdrop of existing literature on faith-based organizations and ethical social service delivery, our findings suggest the need for further inquiry into social service delivery by faith-based organizations (FBOs). The paper discusses some valuable elements of the service provided by FBOs but also raises critical questions about client self determination and autonomy and service free from coercion – even if faith-sharing is in its gentlest and most well-intentioned form.

KEYWORDS:

• Spirituality
• religion
• policy analysis
• community
• faith-based organizations
• evangelical
• social service delivery

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the participants and Dr. Bob Wineburg, Dr. Jason Hackworth, Dr. Sarah Todd, Dr. John Graham, Tim Lappala, and Breanna Sweers for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. We are not referring to the violent evangelism of the Crusades or of holy war – i.e., not referring to violence as physical. Thanks to Taylor Lakusta-Wong for pointing out this distinction.

2. In fact, the term “life transformation” is in some evangelical sources a synonym for conversion.

3. This list was retrieved primarily from the publicly available membership lists provided by the Canadian Council of Churches and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. All but one of the contacted organizations agreed to participate.

4. This participant used this phrase to refer to another outcome, not evangelism, but the quote is illustrative of the general sentiment behind relational evangelism.

5. The imagery of the title itself is apropos of the data in this study: in Matthew 5:13 Jesus tells his disciples “you are the salt of earth” – out of the salt shaker and into the world as disciples of Jesus.

6. A Geiger counter is an instrument used to detect ionizing radiation.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.