Every evangelist is primarily concerned with the accomplishment of two things—persuading the largest possible number of people to accept the truth, and keeping the largest possible number faithful to the end. After thirty years' experience in evangelism in various States, I find the Sabbath school to be one of the greatest factors in getting people to decide to follow the truth, and to stick to it afterward.
The first thing I do after presenting the Sabbath truth is to start a Sabbath school for the interested. It pays to start converts out faithfully attending Sabbath school before they are baptized. Then when they become church members, this important habit is already established, and they will not be numbered among the members missing from Sabbath school. The right time to begin getting converts to attend the Sabbath school is as soon as the Sabbath truth is presented to them.
I find that if I can get the interested ones to attend the Sabbath school, I am almost sure to baptize them a little later. If people do not attend the Sabbath services, then it is better never to baptize them. In fact, if those who profess to accept the Sabbath do not attend Sabbath school when it is possible to do so, that is evidence that they are not ready for baptism. Their conversion is not complete, because complete conversion to the truth includes regularity in attending Sabbath school.
The evangelist must emphasize the fact that attending Sabbath school is a part of Sabbath-keeping. In churches in which converts have been trained right from the beginning, you will see everybody in his place for Sabbath school. Of course it is necessary that the evangelist himself take an active part in the Sabbath school. He should teach the new believers the Sabbath school lesson. It is important in the very beginning to counteract the impression the convert may have gathered that Sunday schools or Sabbath schools are for the children. New converts should not start out on the program of sending their children off in time for Sabbath school with the remark that they "will come to church."
If all converts were started out attending the Sabbath school regularly, the Sabbath school membership in every conference would materially exceed the church membership, because in it would be enrolled every church member, plus a large number of children who have not been accepted into church fellowship. If we as evangelists have brought in converts without establishing them in Sabbath school attendance, we have not done our work as thoroughly as it ought to be done, and we have deprived our converts of greatly needed blessings and help. Every evangelist might well ask himself, How many of the thousands of missing members am I responsible for because I have brought in converts without establishing them in Sabbath school attendance?
The Sabbath school with its plan of daily Bible study, review and recitation, world-wide vision of missions work, and encouragement of liberal, systematic giving, is invaluable in the development of a true experience in new converts. Let us as evangelists adopt the rule that all converts shall be established in Sabbath school attendance before they are baptized.
