There are as many as 400 different definitions of what it means to evangelize in print today. Evangelization comes from the Greek word “evangelion” and Gospel (an old English word), both refer to the Good News of God’s kingdom to people of all nations and at all times.

This appears many times in the Greek version of the Christian scriptures. Paul uses “evangelion” with the simple meaning of “announcing the Good News of Jesus”, as well as the broader meaning of describing the whole activity of a Christian disciple. This reflects the early Christian practice of using evangelion in a broad sense. It refers to Jesus’ mission and ministry, his life and preaching. It also refers to an activity of Christians, usually implying outreach to non-believers, but also includes shared belief among Christians.

Other vocabularies used in this wider sense include: preaching, witnessing, proclaiming and announcing the Good News. In launching The New Era of Evangelization during his pastoral visit to Nigeria in 1982, John Paul II used among other words: “to announce, to proclaim, to communicate Christ and his Gospel to the world.”