Contrary to a typical criticism of door-to-door evangelism, I don’t believe that it’s the only way to evangelize.  There are many scriptural ways to preach the gospel besides door-to-door, and I would teach all of them.  However, I don’t believe a church can be obedient to the Bible without going door-to-door, because that’s the only way to preach the gospel to everyone, which God wants from us.  It is also seen in the example of Jesus and the Apostles.  Why would someone argue against that?

By my experience, which is a lot at this point, door-to-door specifically doesn’t see the most conversions.  That doesn’t mean don’t do it.  I can relate that many people can be saved through the contacts of a person who is saved through door-to-door, the contacts from one person being saved.  Those are still related to door-to-door.  But I digress from the point of my post.

The area of Oregon where we’re starting our church has many, many more “no soliciting” signs than the San Francisco Bay Area, where I started a church and then pastored it for thirty-three years.  I’m estimating at least five times more no soliciting signs here than there.  They are everywhere and they are also very inventive, long lists of things the person doesn’t want.

I’ve seen this sign at least five times:  “No Soliciting:  Seriously.  Don’t ring the bell.  Don’t make it awkward.”

I’ve been kicked out of two apartment complexes going door to door, and as I was leaving another neighborhood, someone told me I couldn’t do that and she would be taking it to the board.  Last week someone called me about a door-hanger, very insulting.  He said something like this:  “You obviously don’t read the Bible, so at least read my no-soliciting sign.”  And then he threatened me with physical harm if I came again.  I know it wasn’t me, but someone else in our new church, who had put the hanger on his door.

It’s a little worse in the coronavirus era, because people have the virus card that they carry very easily.  You’re there to preach the gospel, and they’re there to preach the dangers of the virus and the foolishness of not wearing the mask.  I don’t argue with them.  I let them spew forth their doctrine of physical safety, as I stand over ten feet away outdoors.  It is a message of self-righteousness, as they are preaching a message of physical salvation.

So I’ve had questions about the legality of door-to-door.  What is protected by the United Constitution?  People already don’t want to go door-to-door, so if there is the further layer of illegality, people will feel justified in not doing this thing that they don’t want to do.

In no necessary order, first, someone can legally kick us out of an apartment complex if it has a sign saying that they don’t allow evangelism or the like on their property.  That doesn’t mean you can’t evangelize there.  What it does mean is that the complex has the right to tell you to leave.  As long as they don’t tell you, you can keep doing it until they tell you.  When they tell you, understand that they have the right to kick you out.  It then becomes a trespassing situation.  Usually how it happens is that someone angrily calls management, complaining.  I’ve been told that it’s fine to visit someone who lives there, that you already know, but you can’t keep going cold turkey, once they tell you to stop.

Why go to an apartment complex when it might result in getting kicked out?  You already know the answer.  They need the gospel there, so keep trying until you get kicked out.  If you get kicked out, then you tried.  I would suggest put door hangers in apartment complexes where you’ve been kicked out.

Second, door hangers are not legally solicitation.  They are not.  If you see a no-solicitation sign on a door, put on a door hanger.  A door hanger has an official, legal title.  It is canvassing, and canvassing is protected by the Constitution.  It doesn’t say it in the Constitution, but rulings have been made by the Supreme Court that allow for canvassing.

For canvassing, there is a limitation.  If someone posts a “no trespassing” sign, then you could be charged with trespassing.  That’s also a ruling by the Supreme Court.  I never saw a no trespassing sign in town or the city in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I’ve seen again about five of those at least in Oregon.  I don’t go to a door with a no trespassing sign.

Three, is door-to-door evangelism solicitation?  Legally, it isn’t.  This statement was made in the decision, United States v. Kokinda, 497 U.S. 720 (1990):

Solicitation requires action by those who would respond: The individual solicited must decide whether or not to contribute (which itself might involve reading the solicitor’s literature or hearing his pitch), and then, having decided to do so, reach for a wallet, search it for money, write a check, or produce a credit card.  As residents of metropolitan areas know from daily experience, confrontation by a person asking for money disrupts passage and is more intrusive and intimidating than an encounter with a person giving out information. One need not ponder the contents of a leaflet or pamphlet in order mechanically to take it out of someone’s hand, but one must listen, comprehend, decide and act in order to respond to a solicitation.

Solicitation relates to a “contribution” legally.  The Supreme Court differentiated between the two in this recent decision.  In so doing, the Supreme Court is saying this is protected speech.

You could stand and argue with someone about the meaning of solicitation, but it’s going to be fruitless.  You would win in court.  It’s not you.  They probably mean you though, when they put up the sign.  For that reason, I honor the “no soliciting” sign to mean “no evangelism,” if it’s on an individual door.  I leave a tract or door hanger on the door and move on.  At the same time, I’ve expressed that I don’t care if you go ahead and knock on that door or ring that doorbell for evangelism.  I’ve done it many times.

What I’ve written here leaves plenty of opportunity for door to door evangelism. It’s saying that you can canvass everywhere, which means leaving the gospel on someone’s door.  The man who threatened me for a door hanger, I take him with a grain of salt.  He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  Evangelism is not solicitation, so for sure canvassing isn’t solicitation.