“Evangelical” = An Over-Used, Often-Abused Word
United Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carter addresses this well —
The word “evangelical” is one of the most abused words in our culture and even in the church. It is not a synonym for conservative. At the same time, liberalism has no future without it. It is not a subgroup within a political party or within a church. Whenever the word “evangelical” is used in this way, something is deeply wrong.
“Evangelical” is the good news that points to Jesus and his coming kingdom which forgives our sin, overcomes our injustices and heals our divisions. If we could achieve all of this, on our own, we would have. The gift given to an evangelical is that Jesus has done and is doing this for us. The sin of an evangelical is to claim this as an (exclusive) possession within a culture or a church.
I have been nurtured and fed by the stream of Christianity and Methodism that flows from the deeper reservoir of evangelicalism. I praise God for this gift. I cannot allow such a beautiful, life-giving word–“evangelical”–to be marginalized, scorned, scapegoated or neglected. We are in desperate need–in the culture and in the church–of an evangelical movement that does not suffer conformity or captivity to the way it is so often perceived, stereotyped and yes, even lived.
Why? Because Jesus was, is and will always be bigger than all of that. This is not bad news. It is good news!
— Somebody say Amen!
joescheets 
Can’t!
I know what ‘evangelical’ really means and what it means for me. I just can’t deal with the exclusiveness now touted to the public. It is for everyone, but remember me asking “weren’t the Pharisees also referred to as “Publicans”?”? They made a public display of their prayers, their righteousness, but mostly, mostly rubbing the exclusivity of their position into the noses of the poor and displaced.
The church has experienced a decline, people would rather claim to be ‘spiritual’ rather than Christian and attend any church even mentioning evangelical. There are churches building ‘churches’ that more like shopping centers than a church. I assume that is to appeal to those avoiding God. When I complained about a church design (in a church I later left as it became about keeping and getting members by dispensing with the Message — more like a club) looking like an office instead of a church, I was told that it would draw in more members than a building (like the one being left) that resembled a church.
Until the “Publicans/Pharisees” start sharing that the “good news/evangelical promise” is for anyone and everyone and not dictate “conditional love” to them, we lose them. I prefer “good news” to what has been made to be a dirty/political word no worse than the pharisee role playing of the past.
Agree to disagree?
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