By Randy Stone
My wife has convinced me. She claims America is more likely to be reached through celebrity Christians than evangelists. I have committed my life to serving in the local church. I believe if America can be reached, it will be through individuals in cities, towns, and communities, working together, meeting needs, and sharing Christ. But mass evangelism is on the decline. Where are the modern day evangelists? Billy Graham, and dozens of others to a lesser degree, were able to fill stadiums to hear the gospel message. Not so in America today.
This past weekend, two prominent athletes made news on Easter Sunday. Bubba Watson (I love that name) shocked the world by winning the Master’s, his first major golf tournament victory. He is a confessing Christian proudly declaring his faith. Between 15 and 20 thousand people packed into Celebration Church in Georgetown, TX (outside Austin) to hear Tim Tebow on Easter Sunday morning. Recently, Kylie Bisutti, a Victoria Secret model, made national news when she walked away from lingerie modeling because of her Christian values and desire to honor God and her husband. What’s the big deal?
People today, especially young adults and teens, are much more familiar with celebrities and sports figures than with evangelists and preachers. We are seeing a fascination with Tebow’s bold followship of Christ and Bubba Watson’s identification with Jesus, and Kylie Bisutti’s embrace of Christian morals. The world doesn’t understand why these and other celebrities are willing to stand up for the name of Christ. Perhaps that is the very reason God is giving these individuals a platform to share their faith and the life changing message of Christ.
The church is still the Body of Christ and has a mission to fulfill. But for now, maybe God will use these and other celebrities to make His Name known in our land.
