Great Commission Baptist Church strives to live up to its name

Nestled in a southwest Fort Worth neighborhood is the house of a woman who leases rooms to people in need of a home. Many of her tenants are new to the city, while others have left difficult circumstances and would be homeless if not for the assistance of some generous individual.

On a Saturday in September 2017, all five of her residents happened to be home when they heard a knock at the door. The homeowner answered the door to be greeted by an evangelism team from Great Commission Baptist Church (GCBC), who had partnered with several Southwestern Seminary students in door-to-door evangelism.

The woman immediately recognized one of the church members and requested that they share the Gospel with all five of her tenants. After the residents agreed to a conversation, everyone crowded into the living room to hear from the evangelism team.  

The team shared their own testimonies and presented the Gospel, a message that could give hope to these individuals who often felt that hope was lost. That afternoon, all five residents responded to this Good News and prayed to receive Christ.

Dale Allen, minister of evangelism at GCBC, says the team felt as though they had “hit the jackpot” with the opportunity to share with five people at once and to have each respond in faith. Allen says that day proved not only the effectiveness of evangelism but its necessity as well, for those five lost souls now have eternal life in Christ.  

“One of the things people want to know about intentional evangelism is whether it is fruitful,” Allen says. “Of course it is! We at Great Commission see it all the time.”

Although the church’s evangelism teams do not always see such results in one day, they have witnessed the Gospel change many lives throughout the years. In the previous 18 months alone, GCBC evangelism teams have visited more than 400 homes and led 19 people to make professions of faith.

Allen, a two-time graduate of Southwestern Seminary and current Ph.D. student, says he learned a lot about evangelism and counseling during his studies at the seminary and now implements those approaches in his own ministry. Allen says he has seen tremendous growth in the areas of evangelism, soul care and outreach at GCBC as he and the church staff equip and mobilize members to engage their families and communities with the truth of Scripture.

Lead Pastor Douglas Brown says the work Allen has done in the areas of evangelism and counseling have upheld the church’s vision to “reach the sinner, teach the saint, and strengthen the family.” Brown says, “I have seen spiritual growth in the members who have gone out to share. They have become more bold in sharing their faith and the difference that Christ has made in their lives.”

Read more about GCBC’s ministry, as well as other evangelistic ministries of Southwestern graduates, in the summer 2018 issue of Southwestern News, available online here.