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The Great Commission is the church's marching orders. How to carry them out — who goes, where, how, and what "success" looks like — is where evangelical theology meets evangelical strategy.
Last updated: April 17, 2026
Evangelicals agree the church's primary mission is proclaiming the gospel, but differ on whether social transformation is integral or secondary. Some view social action as essential gospel witness, while others see it as potentially distracting from evangelism. Most hold both are biblical but debate their relationship and priority.
Evangelicalism has always defined itself by its commitment to the Great Commission. But the shape of mission is deeply contested: Is social justice part of the mission or a distraction from it? Should missionaries plant churches or provide aid? What is the relationship between proclamation and presence? The missiology wars of the 20th century are not over — they have simply moved to new battlefields.
The evangelical tradition offers multiple frameworks for thinking about these questions, and while there is genuine disagreement about priorities and methods, there is also remarkable convergence on core convictions: that the gospel is good news for all peoples, that the church exists in a posture of sending, that faithful mission requires both word and deed, and that success is measured not in programs or statistics but in the multiplication of disciples and congregations who themselves become missionary in character and calling.
The Lausanne Covenant (1974) attempted a synthesis: the church is called to both evangelism and social responsibility, with evangelism having a certain priority. The debate has never fully been resolved — and that is appropriate. The church that preaches without caring for the poor has failed; the church that serves without proclaiming Christ has also failed. Both errors are real; both truncate the mission of God.
The more mature reading of evangelical missiology recognizes that these three views are not entirely incompatible. A church can prioritize proclamation without ignoring justice. A church can embrace holistic mission without losing gospel centrality. A church can participate in God's kingdom work while maintaining that some tasks are distinctly ecclesial. The real evangelical disagreement is not whether all three elements matter, but how they relate to one another and which one holds the position of centrality in the church's calling.