What do Evangelists do?
An evangelist is someone called and equipped by God to share the good news of Jesus. Their main role is to lead people into the presence of Jesus to start following and serving him. They are people who can connect faith and people’s lives in a way that makes sense to people, whether through public talks or individual conversations. Evangelists spend much of their time with those outside the church and are always on the lookout for other evangelists they can raise up. It is more than being a good communicator or an engaging personality, it is about the gift of God working in and through the person.
There are lots of types of evangelists and a huge diversity of styles, methods and expressions of what it looks like to practice the role of evangelist today. Speaking to a large crowd at an evangelistic event is not the only way to live out this role.
Two very different people are described as evangelists in the New Testament. Philip in Acts 8 and 21:8 is described in terms which we would recognise as a classic itinerant evangelist being sent by the Holy Spirit to various places and people. From the brief description he seems to be very much the extrovert, itinerant preaching evangelist. But in contrast to him there is Timothy. He is a local church leader who is told to do the work of an evangelist by Paul so he can fulfil his ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). He is of a very different character to the maverick Philip. The sense that Paul conveys is of a more timid, and nervous leader who needs lots of encouragement to fulfil his calling. And there are lots of models of evangelising as Jesus shows in his ministry as he engages with individuals, small groups and crowds, speaking, healing and asking questions.
If you believe God is calling you to serve as an evangelist the best place to start is speaking to your vicar, chaplain or an evangelist linked to the Archbishops College of Evangelists. Visit your diocesan website to see if they have particular training for evangelists and speak to your diocesan vocations or mission team.
The Church Army also trains, supports and licenses Church evangelists. Training to be a Church Army evangelist involves practical mission in your home context plus residential training weekends. Visit the Church Army website to find out more.
It is important you continually pray about your vocation throughout the discernment process.
My name is Chris Andrew, and I serve as a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) in the Diocese of Gloucester, ministering across five village parishes on the edge of the Cotswolds. In 2019, I was commissioned as an Archbishops’ Evangelist in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s private chapel at Lambeth Palace. The heart of my calling echoes the words of Isaiah: "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace… who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’" (Isaiah 52:7).
This calling is expressed through Project Touchline, a Christian values programme I founded that partners with Church of England schools. By integrating Christian distinctiveness into sport—especially rugby and cricket—and the wider curriculum, we create spaces where pupils and staff can grow both physically and spiritually. Sport becomes a welcoming environment where young people feel valued, opening natural doors to conversations about faith.
A key part of this ministry has been establishing lunchtime prayer clubs—simple, sacred spaces for reflection, prayer, and spiritual growth.
For me, evangelistic ministry is more than words; it is about planting and nurturing communities where people encounter Christ, equipping others to share their faith, and cultivating spaces where lives are quietly transformed by God’s love.
