8 Jan 2026, 15:23Pastor Ebenezer Jones-Lartey
The Resurrection Engagement
Feature article
The greatest and most powerful events in Scripture occurred within a single weekend, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Jesus declared, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:32-33), He was pointing to the irresistible power of the Cross to draw humanity to Him.
Ellen White affirms this truth powerfully:
“If those who today are teaching the word of God would uplift the cross of Christ higher and still higher, their ministry would be far more successful. If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross… they will realise the depth of God’s compassion and the sinfulness of sin” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 209).
The Resurrection Engagement emphasises that the Cross remains the most confronting and effective instrument for breaking Satan’s hold on humanity. Biblical evidence is irrefutable: the Resurrection changed everything. The fearful became courageous. The hopeless found hope. Disciples who once hid behind locked doors boldly proclaimed Christ to a dying world. This transformation forms the foundation of what I describe as the three Rs of the Resurrection Engagement: Relevance, Relationship, and Resources. These are not ranked by importance; each is essential and interdependent.
Relevance
If we are to break through the wall of resistance to the gospel in the UK, both our message and methods must be relevant. Relevance is the degree to which we connect meaningfully with people and apply appropriate methods to real needs. It helps the Church understand its purpose and sharpen its mission. A fundamental truth must be acknowledged: if people are uninterested in what we offer, it may be because what we are offering appears irrelevant.
Jesus Himself packaged the gospel in relevance. He met people where they were and addressed their deepest needs. The greatest disservice we can render to the gospel is engaging in irrelevant ministry. If we were investing heavily in manufacturing a product, we would conduct market research, refine packaging, and assess delivery methods. The gospel is the greatest product ever entrusted to humanity, and it must be presented well.
Christ declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Yet the Church faces the challenge of being in the world but not of the world. Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified by truth (John 17:17). Relevance begins with believing in the product we are offering.
Corporate leadership must therefore champion relevance and ensure that every local church aligns with agreed mission strategies. No organisation allows its branches to operate independently at the expense of collective goals. Likewise, the Church must embrace collective responsibility and corporate accountability. When a Conference designates a period for evangelism, no local church should exempt itself.
I witnessed this corporate relevance in New York City in 2013 during the General Conference’s Mission to the City initiative. Over 120 churches conducted nightly evangelistic meetings for two weeks, resulting in more than 500 baptisms. Inspired by this model, London churches were asked to dedicate May 2014 to evangelism. Of the 101 churches, only ten participated, yet 178 baptisms still occurred. Each local church was given a goal to baptise 3 people. Imagine the outcome, had all churches engaged fully. This underscores the power of corporate alignment and enforcement.
Relevant ministry must intentionally create:
The right environment
A sense of belonging
Trust
Hope
Relationship
At its core, relationship is connection – and the Church is fundamentally relational. Jesus prayed, “That they may be one, even as We are one” (John 17:22). Relationship is about oneness.
Beyond relevance, we must build strong, godly relationships. This requires acceptance, flexibility, and intentional effort to ensure that members and visitors alike feel they belong. Nothing should be done – by anyone – that causes a person to feel excluded from the body of Christ.
Pastors must be deliberate relationship builders. The pulpit must never become a weapon that damages relationships. A pastor is called to be a bridge-builder. Over time, ministerial effectiveness should be evident. If repeated assignments result in decline, it signals a failure in relational leadership.
Resources
The final R is Resources – anything that enables us to accomplish God’s mission. This includes people, finances, and spiritual power. Some hesitate to speak about tithes and offerings, forgetting that pastoral ministry itself is sustained through faithful giving.
Satan has fortified strongholds around individuals and communities, and he will not relinquish control without resistance. Jesus acknowledged this reality when He said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). The Church has been resourced with divine power, to preach, to give, to serve, and to care holistically.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I witnessed local churches providing rent assistance and food for struggling members, clear evidence of effective resource mobilisation.
Our most readily available resource is people. We must rethink how we deploy our human and financial resources. If no one from a church’s surrounding community is joining its fellowship, serious introspection is required. Conferences must engage local church leadership in honest, sensitive dialogue about inclusion and outreach.
Local churches also need financial sustainability. Pastors must lead robust stewardship programmes and model faithfulness. I propose that 10% of tithe returned by a local church be reinvested into that church for direct evangelism. For example, if a church returns £100,000 in tithe annually, £10,000 would be allocated back for evangelistic work. This would not impoverish Conferences; rather, it would encourage increased faithfulness and ownership at the local level.
Conclusion
The Resurrection Engagement calls us to confront evil by:
Being relevant
Building strong relationships
Using our resources effectively
Our music must be relevant.
Our messages must be relevant.
Our practices must be relevant.
We cannot engage in irrelevant ministry and expect different results. We must strengthen relationships within and beyond the Church. Finally, we must mobilise our finest human and financial resources to proclaim the everlasting gospel with power and purpose.
The greatest and most powerful events in Scripture occurred within a single weekend, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Jesus declared, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:32-33), He was pointing to the irresistible power of the Cross to draw humanity to Him.
Ellen White affirms this truth powerfully:
“If those who today are teaching the word of God would uplift the cross of Christ higher and still higher, their ministry would be far more successful. If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross… they will realise the depth of God’s compassion and the sinfulness of sin” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 209).
The Resurrection Engagement emphasises that the Cross remains the most confronting and effective instrument for breaking Satan’s hold on humanity. Biblical evidence is irrefutable: the Resurrection changed everything. The fearful became courageous. The hopeless found hope. Disciples who once hid behind locked doors boldly proclaimed Christ to a dying world. This transformation forms the foundation of what I describe as the three Rs of the Resurrection Engagement: Relevance, Relationship, and Resources. These are not ranked by importance; each is essential and interdependent.
Relevance
If we are to break through the wall of resistance to the gospel in the UK, both our message and methods must be relevant. Relevance is the degree to which we connect meaningfully with people and apply appropriate methods to real needs. It helps the Church understand its purpose and sharpen its mission. A fundamental truth must be acknowledged: if people are uninterested in what we offer, it may be because what we are offering appears irrelevant.
Jesus Himself packaged the gospel in relevance. He met people where they were and addressed their deepest needs. The greatest disservice we can render to the gospel is engaging in irrelevant ministry. If we were investing heavily in manufacturing a product, we would conduct market research, refine packaging, and assess delivery methods. The gospel is the greatest product ever entrusted to humanity, and it must be presented well.
Christ declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Yet the Church faces the challenge of being in the world but not of the world. Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified by truth (John 17:17). Relevance begins with believing in the product we are offering.
Corporate leadership must therefore champion relevance and ensure that every local church aligns with agreed mission strategies. No organisation allows its branches to operate independently at the expense of collective goals. Likewise, the Church must embrace collective responsibility and corporate accountability. When a Conference designates a period for evangelism, no local church should exempt itself.
I witnessed this corporate relevance in New York City in 2013 during the General Conference’s Mission to the City initiative. Over 120 churches conducted nightly evangelistic meetings for two weeks, resulting in more than 500 baptisms. Inspired by this model, London churches were asked to dedicate May 2014 to evangelism. Of the 101 churches, only ten participated, yet 178 baptisms still occurred. Each local church was given a goal to baptise 3 people. Imagine the outcome, had all churches engaged fully. This underscores the power of corporate alignment and enforcement.
Relevant ministry must intentionally create:
The right environment
A sense of belonging
Trust
Hope
Relationship
At its core, relationship is connection – and the Church is fundamentally relational. Jesus prayed, “That they may be one, even as We are one” (John 17:22). Relationship is about oneness.
Beyond relevance, we must build strong, godly relationships. This requires acceptance, flexibility, and intentional effort to ensure that members and visitors alike feel they belong. Nothing should be done – by anyone – that causes a person to feel excluded from the body of Christ.
Pastors must be deliberate relationship builders. The pulpit must never become a weapon that damages relationships. A pastor is called to be a bridge-builder. Over time, ministerial effectiveness should be evident. If repeated assignments result in decline, it signals a failure in relational leadership.
Resources
The final R is Resources – anything that enables us to accomplish God’s mission. This includes people, finances, and spiritual power. Some hesitate to speak about tithes and offerings, forgetting that pastoral ministry itself is sustained through faithful giving.
Satan has fortified strongholds around individuals and communities, and he will not relinquish control without resistance. Jesus acknowledged this reality when He said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). The Church has been resourced with divine power, to preach, to give, to serve, and to care holistically.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I witnessed local churches providing rent assistance and food for struggling members, clear evidence of effective resource mobilisation.
Our most readily available resource is people. We must rethink how we deploy our human and financial resources. If no one from a church’s surrounding community is joining its fellowship, serious introspection is required. Conferences must engage local church leadership in honest, sensitive dialogue about inclusion and outreach.
Local churches also need financial sustainability. Pastors must lead robust stewardship programmes and model faithfulness. I propose that 10% of tithe returned by a local church be reinvested into that church for direct evangelism. For example, if a church returns £100,000 in tithe annually, £10,000 would be allocated back for evangelistic work. This would not impoverish Conferences; rather, it would encourage increased faithfulness and ownership at the local level.
Conclusion
The Resurrection Engagement calls us to confront evil by:
Being relevant
Building strong relationships
Using our resources effectively
Our music must be relevant.
Our messages must be relevant.
Our practices must be relevant.
We cannot engage in irrelevant ministry and expect different results. We must strengthen relationships within and beyond the Church. Finally, we must mobilise our finest human and financial resources to proclaim the everlasting gospel with power and purpose.
