Evangelism is not a winners game

Some Christian circles say the goal of evangelism is to “win” people to Jesus. There are two concepts floating below this word.

First, the evangelism usage of “win” refers to persuasion. It’s related to the adjective “winsome,” which describes a person who excels at convincing others. In this way, “win” is a sales term. You might hear the term used in the same way in your local sales department who are “winning” customers/contracts.

Second, the evangelism usage of “win” refers to a tally. The evangelist (or is it Jesus?) “wins” when a finish line is crossed. The line is usually public confession or prayer or first-time attendance at a church.

Evangelism has little to do with persuasion or tallies. It’s not something one “wins”. This language shames the low-tally evangelist by equating their efforts to church-goer’s attendance (see when are they converted).