THE AMSTERDAM AFFIRMATIONS

THE AMSTERDAM AFFIRMATIONS

I confess Jesus Christ as God, my Lord and Savior, who is revealed in the Bible, which is the infallible Word of God.

I affirm my commitment to the Great Commission of our Lord, and I declare my willingness to go anywhere, do anything, and sacrifice anything God requires of me in the fulfillment of that Commission.

I respond to God's call to the biblical ministry of the evangelist, and accept my solemn responsibility to preach the Word to all peoples as God gives opportunity.

God loves every human being, who, apart from faith in Christ, is under God's judgment and destined for hell.

The heart of the biblical message is the good news of God's salvation, which comes by grace alone through faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning death on the cross for our sins.

In my proclamation of the Gospel I recognize the urgency of calling all to decision to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and to do so lovingly and without coercion or manipulation.

I need and desire to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit as I bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because God alone can turn sinners from their sin and bring them to everlasting life.

I acknowledge my obligation, as a servant of God, to lead a life of holiness and moral purity, knowing that I exemplify Christ to the church and to the world.

A life of regular and faithful prayer and Bible study is essential to my personal spiritual growth, and to my power for ministry.

I will be a faithful steward of all that God gives me, and will be accountable to others in the finances of my ministry, and honest in reporting my statistics.

My family is a responsibility given to me by God, and is a sacred trust to be kept as faithfully as my call to minister to others.

I am responsible to the church, and will endeavor always to conduct my ministries so as to build up the local Body of believers and serve the church at large.

I am responsible to arrange for the spiritual care of those who come to faith under my ministry, to encourage them to identify with the local Body of believers, and seek to provide for the instruction of believers in witnessing to the Gospel.

I share Christ's deep concern for the personal and social sufferings of humanity, and I accept my responsibility as a Christian and as an evangelist to do my utmost to alleviate human need.

I beseech the Body of Christ to join with me in prayer and work for peace in our world, for revival and a renewed dedication to the biblical priority of evangelism in the church, and for the oneness of believers in Christ for the fulfillment of the Great Commission, until Christ returns.⁵⁸

An excellent explanation of these is given in Billy Graham's Book, A Biblical Standard for Evangelists. Every Southern Baptist evangelist would be wise to own copies of both the aforementioned book and The Work of An Evangelist, from Amsterdam '86. These two books written especially for itinerant evangelists can be obtained from the Billy Graham office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since so few books are written specifically for evangelists, many men will find these books to be a treasure. I would further recommend James Alexander Stewart's book about evangelists entitled Evangelism Without Apology.

CHAPTER 10 A LIFE OF FAITH FOR THE EVANGELIST:

THE FINANCIAL NEEDS OF THE MINISTRY

FAITHFULNESS IS GOD'S WAY

When large numbers are saved in crusades, the devil will tempt the evangelist into saying or thinking, "I had so, many saved!" However, there are many other meetings with only a few saved. In time, the evangelist begins to see that if the people pray, prepare, and sow the seeds of the Gospel, then a great harvest will ensue. If the church does not pray, nor prepare, nor sow the seeds of the Gospel, then very few, if any will be saved. Occasionally, there will be a great harvest without preparation, but that very seldom happens.

It took me at least eight years to learn that if there is a great harvest of souls and revival in the church, then it is not my fault. Neither is it my fault if there is no harvest or revival. Generally, the evangelist's life and ministry must be placed totally in the hands of God. God will give (generally speaking) just as much revival or harvest as the people are willing to receive.

FAITH IS GIVING

If I help another evangelist get a meeting, or get on a State Evangelism Conference, or get into the best church in the Convention, then I receive a blessing, not just spiritually either. If a fellow evangelist preaches at First Baptist of Dallas, then it makes it possible for another evangelist to be there one day. If a fellow evangelist speaks on the Georgia State Evangelism Program and does a good job, the way will be paved for another evangelist to be on the program one day. Consequently, I pray hard for God to bless fellow evangelists.

If an evangelist recommends a pastor to a church, and that church calls him, the evangelist will generally end up preaching several revivals at that new church. Consequently, I want every pastor I know to have the greatest opportunity possible for God. The will of God is for ministers to love each other, pray for one another, and with all their hearts try to help better their fellow ministers of the Gospel.

This principle is also true in the pastor's life. When he takes an offering for the evangelist, he must realize the financial needs of the evangelist and take the best offering possible. In so doing, he not only ensures a greater harvest around the world, but he teaches his people to respect the office of evangelist. In so doing, he will increase the respect of his people for the office of pastor and will gradually teach them in a round about way to take care of God's men, not only evangelists, but also the pastor of their church.