Evangelist

Evangelist (from Greek euangelistēs, publisher of good news) designates a ministry office or function in the early church focused on the itinerant proclamation of the gospel to those who had not yet heard it. It is listed alongside apostles, prophets, shepherds, and teachers among the gifts Christ gave to his church for its edification (Ephesians 4:11). Philip the deacon is explicitly called an evangelist (Acts 21:8) and his ministry in Samaria, with the Ethiopian eunuch, and along the coastal cities exemplifies the evangelistic function. Paul exhorts Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5), suggesting it is a role that could be exercised by those not formally designated by the title. Evangelists were thus primarily missionary preachers who planted the gospel in new territory, as distinguished from pastors who settled and shepherded established congregations.