Personal Evangelism in Operation

Shortly after my return from the mission field, some years ago, I seemed to hear a voice speaking to me, over and over again, urging me to study and to engage in personal evangelism. Soon the idea of personal evangelism became a consuming ambition with me, and I eagerly studied everything I could find which gave promise of help on this subject. I became con­vinced that personal evangelism was destined to become the most successful method of soul winning, and inasmuch as it can be successfully employed by practically every person in our organi­zation, there is no limit to what can be accomplished through this means. And each passing day brings new evi­dences of the approval of God resting upon this method of work. There is something about this plan that does its own advertising. One soul reached, invariably finds another, and he an­other, and so the work spreads. As to the advantages of personal evan­gelism, and the results which may be obtained, I will cite a few observations and experiences which have come to me during recent months.

I find that ministers of the various denominations have a very strong hold upon their people, and that church, family, and business ties are of such a nature as to prevent many people from attending public meetings held by Seventh-day Adventists. During the last two years I have not engaged in even one so-called public effort, and yet I have had the joy of seeing many souls brought to know and to accept the truth. During the year of 1930 alone, fifty persons were baptized and united with the church, and a num­ber of other people are awaiting bap­tism. I am sure that not one of those who have been won to the truth could have been persuaded to attend any religious service that was not sanc­tioned by their minister, to say noth­ing of a series of meetings conducted by Seventh-day Adventists.

By this method of personal evan­gelism we make contact with the peo­ple in their homes; and as they come to see that we are teaching truth as found in God's word, and to rejoice in the reality of the truth, they stand ready to meet ridicule and persecution, and are willing to face their minister, or their relatives, or the whole world, and urge every one to join in the in­vestigation of truth.

The ministers of other churches are at a loss to know how to meet this personal evangelism. We make no ad­vances except as the people themselves invite us to their homes and ask for cottage meetings; but when we are invited, we accept the invitation. No minister can complain of such con­duct. The people are without reserve or formality when in the quiet of their own homes the truth is explained to them. Soon they are on fire with the message, and they begin to pack the house with invited friends. Then come calls to enter other homes in other communities, and thus new cen­ters of influence are established. The work has grown to such proportions that we always have a "waiting list" of ten to thirty persons who are anx­iously awaiting their turn in our ap­pointments for cottage meetings.

As an example of how the better classes may be reached through per­sonal evangelism, I refer to a few in­stances: The manager of one of the large ice companies, who is reputed to be a millionaire, sent us word that he would like to have us hold Bible studies in his home. At another time, the manager of a large factory, in­volving a pay roll of about $4,000 a week, said to me: "I am convinced that you people have the truth of God. I must investigate these things for myself. Will you come to our home and teach them to us?"

When I told this man that our pro­gram was so full that it would not be possible to begin studies in his home for some time, and asked him to wait awhile, he reluctantly agreed to do so. But in a few days he sent word to me that the Bible studies were a life­and-death matter with him and his family, and he begged that we find some way whereby we could come and teach them the truth at once. We could not turn a deaf ear to such an appeal, so by special arrangement for another family, who had been waiting three months, to come to the home of the manager of the factory for the Bible study, we were able to respond to the call at once. As a result, this business man has put the working force in his factory on a five-day-week schedule, and members of both fam­ilies are planning on baptism.

The deacon of the Evangelical Church asked that studies be held in his home. This is a very influential family. The studies have been con­ducted for some time, and as a result the deacon and his wife and daughter are to be baptized. The Evangelical minister has become very much exer­cised over the matter, and has honored us by preaching two sermons against us. After his first sermon, his pianist and choir leader resigned. After the second sermon, the soloist became in­terested, and has been attending our Bible studies. If the minister will preach one more sermon against us, I think we shall gain still more of his church members.

Two Catholics have been baptized, and an influential member of the Epis­copal Church is ready for baptism. All the people mentioned are very con­servative, and I am sure could not have been induced to attend a public religious meeting at which their own pastor did not preside, or which he did not also attend. But they were honest seekers for light, which they were not getting in their churches, and God's method of reaching them was through personal evangelism.

Nearly all the incidents referred to occurred in connection with my work as district leader in the East Pennsyl­vania Conference. I am now located in Columbus, Ohio, and have found a large group of intensely interested people. In one group we have the president of the W. C. T. U., also the secretary and the treasurer, and some of their intimate friends, all of whom were good Methodists when we began the studies; but the testing truths were presented, and they have ac­cepted every point. In. another group, although but a few studies have as yet been held, two of the members pay their tithe regularly. It may be of general interest to know of the special experiences which have come to me of late, concerning tithe paying.

On one occasion, after I had preached a sermon on tithing in the Columbus church, a man and his wife who were present, but who were not Seventh-day Adventists, gave me a check for $146 tithe; and they have been regular in their tithe paying since that time. A few days after this we visited a man, and after we had prayed with him in his home he gave us a check for $100 tithe. This man had never been to our church, and we had never met him before. A few days ago I visited a man and his wife who do not belong to any church, and at the conclusion of my visit we had a season of prayer. As we rose from our knees, and I was preparing to leave the house, the man said, "Wait a min­ute! I have something to give you," and he handed me $100. He mid that he and his wife believed in pay­ing tithe, but that they had no church connections, and if we would accept their tithe, they would be glad to pay it to us regularly. It is very remark­able how the Spirit of the Lord works upon hearts in this matter of tithe paying. I believe this should impress us as an indication of what God is waiting to do for us when we enter upon the work of personal evangelism in a whole-hearted manner.

This method of work costs the con­ference nothing, aside from salaries and the regular expense of getting about, and the fruitage is certainly most gratifying. This "hand-picked" fruit makes the best material which can be added to our churches. People brought into the truth in this way prove to be factors rather than prob­lems; they become the backbone of our church work, always ready to spring into action at every call.