Contextualizing

I kept looking behind me as students poured into the Central Philippine University’s auditorium. By the time the session began, 4,000 students were listening to the opening announcements. After a few rousing songs, the speaker was introduced. I made my way up the stage. For the next 30 minutes I shared, as clearly as I knew how, the story of Jesus Christ and the meaning of his death and resurrection. During the invitation, well over 200 students came forward.

CPU is affiliated with the Convention Baptists (American Baptist in the U.S). As part of their tradition, they conduct a Christian Emphasis Week every semester, often bringing in high-profile speakers. Plans were made late this year, so those in charge had to forgo the high-profile speakers and scrape the bottom of the barrel in search for whoever might be close-by and available. That’s where they found my name, along with a few others.

During the dozen or so sessions, 1049 students came forward to “receive Christ as their Savior”, according to the university. These students were invited to attend a special follow-up session on Saturday where they would be divided into small groups and receive more information about living the Christian life. I volunteered to lead a couple of groups if needed.

I arrived early on Saturday to the special session. There were about 12 pastors from Convention Baptist churches ready to receive students. We waited…and waited…and waited. After nearly an hour, only 10 students showed up. The University chaplain said this happens every semester. Hundreds of students respond to the invitations, but only a dozen or so ever come to the follow-up session.

The chaplain gave all 10 students to me to follow-up. For the past 4 weeks, we have been meeting in a small group Bible study. I quickly discerned that none of them had a clear understanding of the gospel. So, using Bible stories, I have been explaining how their sins could be forgiven along with receiving God’s gift of eternal life. As the Holy Spirit works in their hearts, they are beginning to understand and respond.

In 2004, we had two large Baptist teams come to Iloilo for evangelism crusades. They preached in the streets and in class rooms, with thousands raising their hands to “accept Christ.” All in all, the two organizations recorded more than 30,000 decisions for Christ. Of that number, I know of only 6 who were ever baptized and joined a church. This is tragic, but it underscores the need to adjust (or contextualize, that’s our technical word for it) our evangelistic methods to the culture we are trying to reach.

Filipinos are eager to please others, and there are a number of reasons why they raise their hands during an invitation or walk forward, but it’s seldom in response to a genuine understanding of the gospel. That’s why, in our CPM strategy, we only count baptisms. In the past year, we have been blessed to see 109 precious souls give testimony of a clear understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ and they have demonstrated their faith in Him through baptism. All of them have been grouped into house churches where they continue to grow in their walk with the Lord.