Nonstop Evangelism for our Unfinished Task

How much of the time are our church doors open?

BY WILLIAM MAUDSLEY

We find ourselves diametrically opposed to the methods and doctrines of Rome. Nevertheless, we must admit that their church buildings are centers of intense religious ac­tivity. Their membership cannot be judged by the seating capacity of their chapels. Close observation shows that they hold services prac­tically every hour on Sundays from 6 A. M. to 9 A. M., and frequently on every week day. It is not uncommon for them to have a local mem­bership three or four times greater than the seating accommodation of the church.

In view of this, we may well inquire, How much of the time are our church doors open? When are they open? Is it only once or twice a week? Is the Sabbath service the one gen­eral meeting weekly? What is the nature of divine worship,—is it public or private? Would it be comparatively true to say that we con­duct our church services more as if they were secret societies or private gatherings, rather than as active, aggressive missions?

Many of our leading ministers are convinced that the time has come for continuous public evangelism. In large cities where there is a sufficient populace upon which to draw, large congregations can be held indefinitely to hear this message proclaimed where there is an earnest and aggressive evangelist. If services for the public were held in every city, town, and village where we have a church, or even a company, the cumulative results of this work would give tremendous impetus to our advance.

Moreover, our local elders and deacons would welcome instruction in the art of holding an audience--also chuch members generally would be willing to use their influence to bring friends and neighbors to such public services, and thus take part in effectual soul-saving home mission­ary work.

The writer knows from personal experience that much good results from such a plan. In one city, in a church having a number of men in its membership, a plan was organized of conducting weekly church services for outlying districts. Several deacons and church officers conducted these meetings, not only on Sab­baths, but on Sundays and week nights. This released the conference worker, and enabled him to enter new territory, thus augmenting our evangelistic endeavors.

The visit of the conference president or de­partmental secretary to the local church should not end with "wise counsel" to the members, or the "patching up" of a church quarrel; or in the case of the secretary, in the stimulating of general missionary endeavor. It should, if possible, include a public address to the "friends" of the church at the Sunday evening service. Some special phase of present truth could be expounded, and personal work be done with those attending who are on the border line of accepting the truth.

The writer recalls an experience in a certain church during his work as field missionary secretary. At a public service of the church on Sunday evening there was present a young woman with whom the faithful local elder had been laboring for months. The visit proved opportune. A complete surrender to Christ was made. The young lady became a student in our college, and later entered the work. So in this and in many other ways the influence of the visiting minister may be turned to good account in re-enforcing the public work of the local elder.

In England, spiritism has increased by leaps and bounds. The total of its actual adherents is not accurately known, but is estimated at ap­proximately one million. Yet it is but twenty years since spiritism was comparatively ob­scure in this country. Nor is it content with quantity merely, for it numbers among its fol­lowers scientists, novelists, lawyers, clergymen, etc. Recently the national papers discussed spiritism pro and con, and finally closed their discussion with an article by the leading organizing secretary of the movement. He boasted that spiritism was destined to sweep the country and supersede the orthodox reli­gion. One secret of their success was attributed to the fact that in fully ten thousand homes every week their beliefs were actively prac­ticed. Family seances, where neighbors are invited, play an important part in their phe­nomenal growth. Can we say that in ten thou­sand Adventist homes the vital truths of this message are expounded?

In the sphere of worldly amusement, intense activity is the order of the day. There are "nonstop" wireless programs, talkie and movie shows, dance and theater performances, etc. Their promoters realize the need of great en­thusiasm and enterprise to maintain their grip on the public. Surely Satan is working hard, knowing he has but a short time.

If, in our conferences throughout the world, all our churches were fully alive, and the local leaders zealously laboring for the unsaved in their neighborhood, their work would greatly add to the number of new converts. Why not have goals for souls won by all our churches• throughout the world? Let the ministers, evan­gelists, and conference officials stimulate every unit to intense activity of a real soul-saving endeavor.

The Lord has placed in this movement the genius of organization, as is apparent in build­ing up and establishing, under the mighty hand of Providence, all the various institutions and departments of the church. Why not then harness the organizing genius among us for this, the greatest of all enterprises, the unfin­ished task—universal evangelism? The work of spiritualizing our whole movement into a world-wide continuous evangelism ought surely to be the dominating impulse of every Seventh-day Adventist leader.

Let us "keep the church fires burning."

Leicester, England.

BY WILLIAM MAUDSLEY

February 1933

Download PDF
Ministry Cover

More Articles In This Issue

Our Relation to Christian Temperance

Temperance is more than a political concern. It is a moral issue.

Institutionalism Must Not Supplant Individualism*

It has been said that every religious movement has developed along the line of individualism or institutional­ism. When a movement gets large, its natural tendency is to lose the per­sonal intensity of its pioneers, to be­come formal.

Marshaling the Laymen as Reserves

It is a solemn fact that we have never called upon nor utilized the vast man power resources of the church in discharging the great commission of teaching the everlasting gospel to all nations.

A New Advertising Approach

How to counter the charge that Adventists are "time setters."

The Book of Revelation in Public Efforts

An interesting experience has come to us in our English effort for the general public here in Colombo, through presenting a series of studies on the book of Revelation.

Three Great Objectives in Christ's Ministry

In His ministry for lost humanity and for His chosen apostles, Christ kept three great objectives uppermost.

Gibbon's July 27, 1299, Date Sustained

A few years ago a search was made at the Library of Congress for evidence support­ing Gibbon's date, July 27, 1299, for the first invasion of Othman into Nicomedia.

No Falling Stars in 1932

The astronomers have again been disap­pointed; for the predicted display of Leonid meteors again failed to appear, just as they failed to appear in 1899. And accordingly the great display of 1833 now stands out with all the more distinctness and all the more impor­tance.

Ellen G. White on Prohibition

Seventh-day Adventists have from the very beginning of the advent movement aligned themselves on the side of temperance, taking a strong stand against legalizing liquor.

Editorial Keynotes

Maintaining the Unity of the Faith

View All Issue Contents

Digital delivery

If you're a print subscriber, we'll complement your print copy of Ministry with an electronic version.

Sign up

Recent issues

See All