ANAHEIM, Calif. (NRB) – Tony Evans received the NRB Hall of Fame Award, “a witness to excellence in Christian communication,” at the Closing Gala of Proclaim 19, the NRB International Christian Media Convention in Anaheim, California.
The NRB Hall of Fame is “a showcase for warriors of Jesus Christ who have lived brave lives of valor and perseverance, who have blazed trails which will provide pathways for future generations to follow,” NRB board member Ed Cannon said March 29.
“This most prestigious award is reserved for National Religious Broadcasters members who have contributed in an extraordinary fashion to the field of Christian communication, demonstrated the highest standards of quality in their broadcasts, and have lived lives of dedication and faithfulness to Jesus Christ,” Cannon said before presenting the award to Evans, president of The Urban Alternative and pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas.
“Whenever you see a turtle on a post,” Evans said, “you know it didn’t get there by itself, and I am not here without standing on the shoulders of others.”
Evans expressed gratitude “for the many friends, the many relationships, the many opportunities that have come because of my association with the National Religious Broadcasters.”
“It is my expectation that in the days, months, and years to come – if Christ be not come – that we’ve only begun to see the influence that this organization can make in bringing Christ to a chaotic world,” Evans said.
“God has set the stage for us. This is perfect timing. An afraid culture. The left way over here, the right way over here, leaving a gap in the middle, and nature abhors a vacuum,” Evans said. “If we fill in that space with the will of God and the Word of God and the power of God and the presence of God, then we can see what God looks like when He comes into a mess and creates a miracle.”
Jesus told believers to occupy until He comes, Evans said.
“If He comes tomorrow, then we don’t have to worry about all of this. But what if He doesn’t come for another 200 years? Then we better worry about all of this. … If He does not come back tomorrow, our voices better be heard,” Evans said. “Politics won’t fix it. Social science can’t change it. Seminars and secular education can’t inform it. Only as the content and the scope of the Gospel is proclaimed.”
The content of the Gospel is narrow – faith alone in Christ alone, Evans said, but the scope of the Gospel is broad, reaching all of the world.
“There’s no greater group, no more centrist an opportunity than held by this magnificent organization because you represent the voice of God through the many mechanisms that are part of the association and the audiences to whom you speak,” Evans said.
Jesus told His followers to be salt and light, but Christians today have come too close to losing their saltiness, Evans said.
“What the culture has done is gotten too many evangelicals mixed up with it. We’ve become too Republican. We’ve become too Democratic. We’ve become too white and too black. We’ve become too culturalized and too secularized. In this mixture, the culture has walked on us. Doesn’t take us seriously.”
It’s time, as proclaimers of the Gospel, “to take our stand as the Kingdom of God and not the culture of men,” Evans said.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed not only because of their immorality and oppression of the poor but because 10 righteous people couldn’t be found, Evans said.
“It is the presence publicly of Christians – that’s why He said, ‘You are the light of the world.’ You’re supposed to be visible. Everybody else is coming out of the closet. We might as well come out too. This is not a time for secret agent Christians,” Evans said.
“… This is not a time for undecided voters, nor is it a time to be generic about God and not specific about Christ. This is a time when we have got to publicly declare our allegiance to Jesus Christ that men might trust Him for Heaven and follow Him for Earth.”
Also at the Closing Gala, NRB presented its Special Service Awards “in recognition of media excellence in ministry executed on behalf of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Marv Mickley of CRISTA Media received the NRB Milestone Award, which honors exemplary service in Christian broadcasting for 50 years or more; Barry Meguiar of Meguiar’s Inc. and Revival Outside The Walls received the Billy Graham Award for Excellence in Christian Communications; and Ron Harris, president of MEDIAlliance International, received the William Ward Ayer Award for Distinguished Service. The evening before, Darlene Ankerberg received the NRB Board of Directors Award on behalf of her husband, Dr. John F. Ankerberg.
By Erin Roach
