Endorsements and Reviews

What people—including professors and pastors—are saying about 1X Evangelism: A Kingdom Growth Strategy for the Local Church by Dr. John L. Rothra.

Somehow, somewhere along the journey of Southern Baptists our Sunday Schools became introspective nurture groups for disciples, training unions changed to home groups continuing to nurture us into ingrown cliques. Next our revival meetings went away because unsaved seemed not to attend. Now neighborhood witnessing is passé, some say simply does not work. Yet alternatives like forms of relational evangelism, as it is called, seems so open ended a person relates so indefinitely to lost friends, if Christ is not made central to the relationship at the beginning, that it seems like an eternity to get to the gospel, perhaps even the lost person's eternity. 1X Evangelism returns to the basics and encourages believers to begin again. Shifted awareness of lostness, a message to share, and a Savior to save is as simple as it gets. This timely piece brings a fresh awareness of the simple back into light with biblical panache.

With his simple design, 1X Evangelism can be adapted to every size church whether small, medium, or large. All the guidelines and responsibilities for establishing a fresh approach to effective outreach evangelism for the local church are expressed in this work.

The text that helped make personal evangelism a common practice among Southern Baptists in the last half of the twentieth century was Basic Evangelism. What Basic Evangelism was in bringing a revival of evangelism to Southern Baptists in the past is what John L. Rothra’s 1X Evangelism: A Kingdom Growth Strategy for the Local Church could be for Southern Baptists of the future.

Dr. J. Denny Autrey
Dr. J. Denny Autrey, PhD, DMin
Dean and Professor of Pastoral Mnistries (Ret.)
Havard School for Theological Studies, SWBTS
Most believers understand at least intellectually that the Great Commission is more than a Great Suggestion. But, most rarely ever actually seek to make disciples themselves by sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. John Rothra has developed a practical, helpful, and doable approach to sharing Christ and making disciples that can help your church move forward in evangelistic impact. Most of us know far more about Jesus than we actually put to practice; John helps you to do the latter!
Dr. Alvin Reid
Dr. Alvin L. Reid
Fmr. Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

The evangelistic methodologies of the past no longer work… or so claim many of today’s esteemed “experts.” Desiring to offer a contemporary, evangelistic strategy reflecting historic, evangelistic methodologies, John Rothra has penned 1X Evangelism.

As someone who finds both value for and success in the historic evangelism practices of the Southern Baptist Convention, I especially appreciate Rothra’s treatment of the subject in Section 1. Pastors will find the 1X Evangelism strategy helpful, providing that they do not merely oversee but actively participate in this evangelistic methodology.

George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In 1X Evangelism John Rothra dares to believe that those who remember the evangelistic successes of the past become capable of seeing them repeated.

It’s been said that you can’t expect what you don’t inspect. When it comes to the paramount spiritual discipline of personal evangelism, every Christian stands in need of accountability. Having utilized over a dozen methods in my personal witnessing and having studied many others in the academia of methodology, I have yet to discover a strategy that will run your strategy – that is, until 1X. Regardless of the structure that best fits your personality or your church, Rothra’s 1X provides simplistic and strategic impetus to maximize your evangelistic efforts and increase your witnessing effectiveness.
Dr. Glynn Stone (1973-2020)
Fmr. Senior Pastor
Mobberly Baptist Church, Longview, Texas