The Great Commission: Models of Evangelization in American Catholicism

From the moment Jesus commissioned His disciples to go into the whole world and proclaim the good news (Mk 16:15), the mission of spreading the Gospel has taken many forms. Of these various forms, The Great Commission proposes six standard patterns which emerge throughout Church history as primary models of Christian evangelization that are derived from the New Testament and represent the perennial paradigms of the Church’s missionary activity.

The Great Commission identifies, defines and evaluates these New Testament models of evangelization and describes their salient features. In order to help the reader grasp the models, a corresponding example from American Church history is included to illustrate each of them. The purpose of this study is to highlight and promote the essential mission of the Church, which, as Pope Paul VI reminded us, is evangelization. This ministry resource will enlighten, encourage and perhaps even inspire clergy and lay leaders with a renewed understanding and appreciation for the evangelical dimension that must be a part of all Church ministry.