The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, spoke yesterday at Church Army's 125th anniversary event in Sheffield Cathedral where he admitted seven women and three men to the Office of Evangelist.
In blessing each one of the evangelists, Dr Sentamu told the new recruits to bring, joy, passion and commitment to their ministry, remembering that they had the best news in the world to share.
The Archbishop also told the evangelists and a 400-strong congregation that they had been commissioned as evangelists because they had a passion for sharing the gospel and should loiter with intent to help people experience, explain and demonstrate what new life in Christ is all about.
In a sermon given in a city devastated by floods only a couple of weeks earlier, Dr Sentamu called upon the newly commissioned evangelists to be all-weather evangelists not waiting for the sun to come out and shine as it very rarely does, but getting out there in all weathers to share the gospel through words and actions.
He said the Christ Jesus they serve is alive and working in the world and cannot be constrained or trapped within the covers of any book.
God in Christ must be accessible to all - tell others what you know and your experience will bring joy and new beginnings for those you encounter, he added. The Archbishop also called on the church to renew its focus on mission and evangelism and share with confidence an authentic and incarnational gospel to our communities.
