Epochal Advance in Evangelistic Program

Building upon the blessed foundation laid by the St. Louis Council (described in the February Ministry) , but more fully developing and crystallizing the principles there laid down, this Philadelphia Council seemed, to those priv­ileged to attend both meetings, to be the climax of a glorious work of the Holy Spirit, not only in speaking to our hearts concerning the great principles and privileges of evangelistic minis­try, but in unifying and energizing us all with that promised unction from above. Ministers and Bible workers freely said that they went away different men and women. Purposes had been purified, prejudices and estrangements had been put aside, and the passion to win lost men and women to Christ had been set aflame as never before.

Messages out of the usual order were deliv­ered. Blessed and heart-searching revivals in our devotional hours sprang from the plain, practical, Spirit-witnessed studies on our rela­tion to the Holy Spirit, and His relation to us in our ministry. It was a convocation never to be forgotten, and will unquestionably mark the turning point in scores of lives, as they are lifted from the nominal to the spiritual, from the mediocre to the successful. The study of methods was characterized by the greatest freedom, frankness, and fervor under the guiding hand of our able and impar­tial chairman. Only those who were present could, of course, sense the epoch-making sig­nificance of it all.

The determination to preach to the unsaved flamed like a mighty fire that had been kindled from above. Men left for their homes deter­mined to begin evangelistic efforts at once, if not in some great auditorium or theater, then at least in some church or smaller hall. Our message must be preached to the world, was the responsive cry.

It is our profound conviction that these two councils mark a turning point in our move­ment, the beginning of a new epoch. We believe this blending of consecration with en­larged and improved soul-winning plans pre­sages the swelling of that cry that is to lighten the earth with its glory, as, by voice and press and radio, the last message is told forth with compelling power by thousands. We fully be­lieve it has a distinct relation to the predicted loud cry of the third angel's message as it is to return in power to the mighty cities of the Atlantic seaboard. Surely he were blind and obdurate who did not discern the marked mov­ings of the Holy Spirit in the assembly.

This council was a sobering occasion. It was characterized by deep heart searching and the strong outreach of faith for the promised blessing of all blessings—the Holy Spirit—without which all our earnest plans and resolu­tions and activities are but barren and fruitless motions. And God disappointed us not. Con­stantly the voice of importunate prayer was heard, pleading for the cleansing, transforming, enabling power of the Holy Spirit. And these pleas God graciously heard and answered.

There was a blessed breakdown of personal and sectional barriers, as the chill of misunder­standing, suspicion, jealousy, and alienation melted before hearts humbled and renewed by the operation of the Holy Spirit. It was glori­ous to experience and to witness. Such was manifestly a real reformation of life following a genuine work of revival.

The outstanding and insistent emphasis of the council from first to last in the daily devo­tional and discussional periods, was upon the preaching of Christ by converted, Spirit-filled and empowered men as the center of every truth of the third angel's message. The prin­ciple was iterated and reiterated that we are not simply to convince the intellect by irrefu­table argument and evidence on prophecy and doctrine, but to convert men and women to Christ in an age that has repudiated the ever­lasting gospel. Every principle and precept He has declared is to be preached and received as the responsive obedience of a heart won by His love.

And it was further urged that there should be no cleavage between the doctrinal and the spiritual, but that a blessed blending should prevail that will make every presentation a savor of life unto life. Such an emphasis does not involve nor imply any softening or mini­mizing of our distinctive doctrinal truths, but rather an enlargement and intensification com­mensurate with the demands of the hour. Such is involved in the preaching of the Sabbath "more fully," and of every other present truth more fully. And that is obviously the meaning of "preaching Christ" in the "setting" of the third angel's message. This was impressively summarized and enforced by Elder Branson in the closing devotional study of the council, to appear later in these columns.

The symposial response of the Philadelphia Council to the call to evangelism (which call was presented in the February Ministry, with the response of the field leaders at the St. Louis Council), appears hereafter. Elder ^-Watson's second study—the first in his series on the Holy Spirit, as given at both councils—is also found in this number. The others in the series, together with his Sabbath sermon, will follow throughout the year. These are worthy of careful study and review, and should be pre­served by each worker.

A most important Resolution on Evangelism, adopted unanimously by both councils as the united expression of the over five hundred evangelistic workers from forty-one States and five Canadian provinces, is then introduced by an important explanation by the chairman, and is followed by appropriate expressions from field lea ders from the floor. It should likewise be painstakingly studied, for utmost care and candor marked the facing and study by very representative committees, of such a far-reach­ing evangelistic program in relation to caring for our churches through planning for a defi­nitely progressive shifting of the pastoral bur­den to lay church leadership, recognizing that the drift toward hovering over our churches—against which we are solemnly warned—has grown to disturbing proportions.

The round-table discussions, stenographically reported at both councils, will be introduced in the April Ministry, the second of the 32-page "evangelism specials." These will be presented in the order given by two special instructors on evangelistic methods, H. M. S. Richards and J. L. Shuler, and local men of experience; and will be followed by the contributions from the floor from both St. Louis and Philadelphia, blended so as to make one united presentation. In several instances these were crystallized into resolutions, statements, or requests from representative groups of evangelists, and these will likewise appear in due order.*

The daily presentations by the writer on the rise and development of the advent movement, as portrayed through the incomparable col­lection of source documents assembled at the General Conference, will not be reported in these columns, unless in the form of a brief outline survey later, but will appear in time in book form in harmony with the authorization of General Conference leaders and the request passed jointly by the two councils, which reads as follows:

"Recognizing the value of the information that Elder Froom has presented on the early history of our denomination, we, the five hun­dred delegates to the St. Louis and Philadel­phia Evangelistic Councils, embracing the work­ers in forty-one Central, Eastern, and Southern States and five Canadian provinces, earnestly request the General Conference Committee to have this information made available in book form with as little delay as possible.

"We further request that this information be very comprehensive, containing the full quota­tions as appearing on the photostats read in these councils, together with the references read from the different books exhibited here. We hope that the publication may be large enough to contain the most important docu­mentary evidence used by Elder Froom in his studies on the historical background of the advent message.

"We would also appreciate such other infor­mation from these source materials as may be helpful in making our soul-saving efforts more successful."

The closing feature of the council was a hearty testimony meeting, participated in by over half the delegation. In this the thought was repeatedly expressed that if only such a council could have been held ten or fifteen years ago, the whole ministry and fruitfulness of the one voicing his convictions would have been vastly different; but coming now there would still assuredly be marked results in fu­ture ministry, even though the habits of thought and labor had the rather fixed mold of maturity, while the influence upon the younger ministry and the internes was scarcely cal­culable.

Thus the memorable Philadelphia Council came to a close, its participants going back to the nine States and five provinces where their individual responsibilities lie. May God's grace and power abide upon those dear men and women, and upon the similar group that departed from St. Louis. The future course and welfare of the church in the great North American Division lies largely in their hands.

L. E. F.

* These several resolutions were likewise adopted at the local four-day workers' meeting of the Michi­gan Conference, with eighty-five present, January 14-18.