One of the outstanding features of the recent Spring Council was the consideration given city evangelism. Several comprehensive and forward-looking resolutions were passed, which are reproduced in this issue of the Ministry. The Sabbath afternoon of the Council was given Over to a study of the earnest messages found in the "Spirit of prophecy concerning the call' of the cities, and a review of the work in the various unions of North America by the respective presidents.
It is encouraging to know that much is being done to evangelize the cities and towns of North America, but when our present activities are compared with the need, our efforts seem very meager indeed. One conference recently reported a total of thirty cities of from 10,000 to 50,000 population, without a single Seventh-day Adventist, so far as was known. No doubt this situation could be duplicated in many conferences. Another report showed that in one of the largest States in the East more than half the counties are still unentered. Then there are great cities, especially in the populous East, where we have churches and in which some work has been done, but where, because of the immensity of the population, our message is comparatively unknown. Millions upon millions of the masses in these centers of population have never as yet had their attention arrested by the representatives of this message. They still grope in darkness, notwithstanding the fact that a few in the same cities have heard and embraced the truth.
Now it is obvious that before the work can be finished and Jesus shall come, these cities must be worked. The masses of humanity surging through their streets and thronging their market places must have their attention attracted and must be brought face to face with God's message of truth. These congested centers must yield up a harvest for the kingdom.
This work must be done by the living preacher. In hall, theater, tent, and on the busy street, he must go and proclaim the message to the multitudes. Our colporteurs, doctors, nurses, leaders of departments, and every church member, young and old, must help; but the evangelist must lead the way. It is "through the foolishness of preaching" that God has ordained to save them that believe.
Spring Council Actions on Evangelism
Whereas, It has been many years since our city evangelists have had the privilege of meeting together, and with the executive leaders of our conferences, to study the problem of reaching the masses in our great cities where conditions are ever changing,
We recommend, 1. That the General Conference arrange to hold three regional councils on evangelism as follows:
Convention No. 1.—At St. Louis, Missouri, December 17-23, 1934, to include the Central, Lake, Southern, and Southwestern. Unions.
Convention No. 2.—At Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 31, 1934, to January 7, 1935, to include the Columbia and Atlantic Unions and the eastern part of the Canadian Union.
Convention No. 3.—At San Francisco, California, January 10-17, 1935, to include the Pacific and North Pacific Unions and the western part of the Canadian Union.
Each of the three conventions shall convene on the evening of the opening date. It is understood that the attendance at each of these conventions shall be limited strictly to active field evangelists, pastor evangelists, conference presidents, editors of major periodicals, and ministerial internes who are developing into active evangelists.
1. That as one means of fostering this work of evangelizing the cities, our conferences be urged to set aside from 10 to 30 per cent of their annual gross increase in tithe to be used for evangelistic expense, thus making it possible for more liberal support to be given to the work of their evangelists.
2. That we encourage a more extensive use of the radio and the public press by our evangelists, pastors, and conference officials, thus making these important inventions serve more definitely as vehicles for the carrying of the message into the very homes of the people.
3. That the General Conference Committee arrange for the preparation of three or four radio sermons on our mission work to be broadcast by our conference officials, pastors, and evangelists, over local stations, just before the coming Harvest Ingathering campaign, in an effort better to acquaint the public with the aims of our work and to solicit their cooperation.—General Conference Committee Minutes. May 1. 1931.
The work of evangelizing these cities is primarily the preacher's business. The others are his helpers. If he fails, multitudes will be lost who otherwise might have been gathered in.
Too many of our ministers have hibernated. They have withdrawn within their parishes, and are busy with many things,—good and necessary things, too,—but are allowing the masses of humanity to go by, unwarned and unsaved. We must change this situation. We who are ministers must go "without the camp" and call the unsaved to repentance.
Many years ago the earnest appeal was given to our people:
"For years the pioneers of our work struggled against poverty and manifold hardships in order to place the cause of present truth on vantage ground. With meager facilities, they labored untiringly, and the Lord blessed their humble efforts. The message went with power in the East, and extended westward until centers of influence had been established in many places. The laborers of today may not have to endure all the hardships of those early days. The changed conditions, however, should not lead to any slackening of effort. Now, when the Lord bids us proclaim the message once more with power in the East, when He bids us enter the cities of the East, and of the South, and of the West, and of the North, shall we not respond as one man and do His bidding? Shall we not plan to send our messengers all through these fields and support them liberally? Shall not the ministers of God go into these crowded centers, and there lift up their voices in warning the multitudes? What are our conferences for, if not for the carrying forward of this very work?"—"Testimonies," Vol. IX, pp. 98, 99.
We believe that the three regional councils on evangelism, provided for in the Spring Council action, will do much to help our evangelists to know how to attack this tremendous problem of working the cities, and that they will prove to be a great impetus to this important work. We trust that our evangelists, pastor-evangelists, and ministerial internes who have evangelism as their goal, can' all be in attendance to join their ,respective conference leaders in a fresh study of this mighty task.
In the meantime we hope that every evangelist will seek, during 1934, to bring forth the largest harvest in his experience. After all, the real test of a man's calling to the ministry is his success in soul winning...Preaching without results is largely a failure. "Herein," said Jesus, "is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples." This is the goal of all goals, and for the reaching of this goal every minister should constantly strive.
Washington, D. C.
