RC Talk - The Official Blogs of Ratio Christi Chapters

If you’ve never been to South Africa, my first thoughts upon arriving were, “it is Europe meets Africa.” Everything from large metropolis areas like Johannesburg and Cape Town to thatched huts in the bush. Although this was my eighth trip to Africa, it was special, not because it was my first time in South Africa, but because it was my first trip as International Director of Ratio Christi (“reason of Christ”), the campus apologetics ministry now on some 100 campuses in the U.S.

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On March 5th through the 19th John Stewart, Ratio Christi International Director, and his wife Laurie will be going to South Africa with a group from Southern Evangelical Seminary and working alongside RZIM and Dr. John Lennox both in Cape Town and the Johannesburg region. They will be teaching and training at local churches, several theological institutions, and at a number of the major universities in South Africa. The main objective is for the Stewarts to encourage the existing Ratio Christi club in Potchefstroom and help launch new Ratio Christi clubs at several universities.

A Ratio Christi chapter was established at North West University, Potchefstroom in 2009 and has been very active with many students involved. In that year they introduced the campus to apologetics by organizing a team of apologists from Southern Evangelical Seminary to lecture all over campus. They key note speaker was Dr. Richard G. Howe. In 2010 they had a speaker from RZIM, John Njoroge, training students and in 2010 and 2011 Dr. Michael Licona was also their guest, lecturing at various venues across campus and debating Muslim Apologist Yusuf Ismail. Dr. Licona's popularity became evident when the theological faculty offered him the position of external research collaborator, which he accepted. The Ratio Christi club at North West University regularly hosts events with local apologists and have monthly meetings. 

There are now two other South African universities where students are interested in starting a Ratio Christi club. John will be connecting with these groups to help them in the planning and launch.

Please pray for those going to South Africa, that God will make the time fruitful.

Ratio Christi needs to raise $5,000 for the cost of air travel and in country ministry in by March 5th. Please consider supporting this important effort by donating here.

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We are all called to carry out the great commission, but who really holds the office of an evangelist?

Many Christians would describe an evangelist as someone that travels from church to church to preach messages. Their messages inspire believers to give to ministries that focus on taking the gospel to the unreached. Perhaps they would mention someone that preaches a message to bring revival to the church and convince people we bring to their meetings to become a follower of Christ. The right answer, however, according to Ephesians chapter 4, is that the evangelist is a person who equips believers to “do the work of the ministry so that they may build up the church.” That means the person who gives us the intellectual ability to answer the questions and objections of family and friends is really acting in the office of the evangelist. By training believers to give a reasonable answer, these people are probably doing more to win people to Christ than many traveling preachers. Apologetics is the branch of Christian theology that seeks to address the intellectual obstacles that keep people from taking faith seriously, and therefore it is the apologist who is the true evangelist.

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