“The goal ought to be converting as many people to a belief in Christ as Savior, “
We can’t convert anyone. Only God can do that. Hence the problem with changing the Gospel to make it more palatable.
If someone were at risk of dying, would you warn them? If they were at risk of going to Hell, would you warn them?
Of course only God can do the actual conversion, but we are called to spread the Gospel (i.e., the Good News).
I have used the analogy of a bridge that is out ahead, and that you are the only one who can warn drivers of the risk around the next curve. Would you warn them? Of course you would.
But that isn’t the end of the story, or even the whole story. There is more than one way to convey the same message. And in the case of the Gospel, there is a warning to be made, to be sure, but there is also an alternate route that leads to riches untold. We should share all of the information with those who are “traveling the road” with us, in a way that encourages them to turn from the road they are on and to take the road of eternal life.
Sadly, I see and hear Christians talking about fire and brimstone with near glee, and never mentioning the true Gospel, the Good News.