Rethinking Evangelism: Invitation, Not Imperialism

Andrew Root has a new book on evangelism that I’ve yet to read, but I suspect it will be both compelling and insightful.

Andy Root's Essential Themes

Andrew Root's Ministry in a Secular Age Series

In the meantime, I’ve been reflecting on how evangelism has been misunderstood—especially in Progressive and Mainline Christian spaces. Many are hesitant to even use the word. Their discomfort is understandable:

1. They are rightly horrified by the legacy of colonialism, abuse, and injustice carried out in the name of Christian mission.

2. They fear being associated with Evangelicalism and the cultural and political baggage that comes with it.

3. They aren’t fully convinced that the Gospel is a message worth sharing.

While I’ve previously written about the second and third points, I haven’t given much attention to the critique of colonialism—partly due to my own learning curve and partly because I’ve wrestled with how to differentiate evangelism from colonialism in a meaningful way.

In a recent podcast conversation, Episcopal priest Tricia Lyons made some key distinctions that helped clarify this issue for me.

Her insights also reminded me of Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, which centers on a simple yet profound truth:

“Find out where God is at work and join Him there.”

Rather than bringing Christ to others, Blackaby’s model encourages believers to discern where God is already moving and join in that work. While Evangelicals often get (sometimes fairly) criticized for their approaches, this framework aligns with much of what I’ve seen in Progressive and Mainline spaces—an emphasis on bearing witness rather than controlling the narrative.

The Difference Between Evangelism and Colonialism

Lyons makes a critical distinction between true evangelism and the colonial missionary efforts of the past, which often sought to spread Western civilization rather than the Gospel. Many 20th-century missionary movements assumed that converting people to Christianity also meant converting them to Western ways of life:

“That was the colonialism, right, that we bring Christ to people. What happens is we have the opportunity to be part of Christ coming to a person.” (Lyons 2024)

This colonial mindset turned mission work into an act of cultural imposition, rather than bearing witness to Christ. It falsely assumed that Christianity and Western civilization were inseparable, leading to harmful legacies of forced assimilation, economic exploitation, and suppression of indigenous traditions.

“This idea that when you go up to another person, you are encountering the image of God… That conceit [of imposing Christ onto others] is murderous and has been a war crime from the beginning.” (Lyons 2024)

Lyons further challenges the presumption that Christians "bring" Christ to others, emphasizing that God is already at work and does not need us to introduce Him:

“God doesn’t need any of us to go into that room. Whether it’s a hospital room or an apartment or a jail. That was the colonialism, right, that we bring Christ to people. What happens is we have the opportunity to be part of Christ coming to a person.” (Lyons 2024)

This shifts the entire evangelistic framework: instead of assuming we carry Christ to others, we recognize that Christ is already present—our role is to witness and join in that work, rather than impose our own vision of it.

Not All Evangelism Is Colonialism

At the same time, it’s essential not to conflate all evangelism with colonialism. While some missionary movements were deeply entangled with imperial expansion, others were genuinely focused on the Gospel, often led by indigenous believers themselves.

Lyons emphasizes that Christians must acknowledge past harm but not abandon evangelism entirely:

“We have got to take, especially with Jews, responsibility for the fact that speaking and acting as a Christian empire has almost removed Jews from the earth. So it is true that we have to think about how we talk about these ideas that are exclusive.” (Lyons 2024)

This is where modern evangelism must be redefined—not as an act of cultural dominance, but as an invitation into an encounter with God.

“We have to start saying to people, this is what Christianity is. It costs you everything. It requires everything. It encompasses everything… But that was the colonialism that has killed half the world. That I had to go to Beijing or Boston or Bangor and actually put Christ into people's lives.” (Lyons 2024)

Evangelism is not about control—it’s about helping people recognize the God who is already at work in their lives. If God is sovereign, then we do not bring Christ anywhere—we witness to what is already happening.

What Faithful Evangelism Looks Like

A faithful approach to evangelism doesn’t impose, doesn’t manipulate, and doesn’t erase cultures. Instead, it asks:

• Where is God already at work here?

• How can we join in that work rather than reshape it in our own image?

• How do we communicate the Gospel in ways that are faithful, but not coercive?

Evangelism, then, is not a project of Western expansion but an invitation to participate in the ongoing work of Christ—one that respects cultural diversity while remaining committed to the call of discipleship.

That being said, I may be entirely wrong and welcome other perspectives.