Radio Evangelism in Action

By H. H. SCHMIDT, Pastor-Evangelist, Missouri Conference

Radio knows no boundary lines. As we broadcast from the powerful station KFEQ in St. Joseph, we receive many responses from listeners in Missouri and the surrounding States.

Since we have only a fifteen-minute broad­cast once a week, it will be some time before our entire message can be brought to our listen­ers, although we are endeavoring definitely to present our distinctive message. This we are doing by giving "The Millennium," for example, in a series of three talks. "The State of the Dead and the Resurrection" is given in a series of three or four talks. Between these various series of studies, we find it advisable to present something in the way of inspirational or de­votional material. This makes for variety, and serves as an appeal to listeners who may not be following the broadcast every week.

We try to follow the plan of making a strong heart appeal at the end of every talk, whether it is doctrinal or inspirational. And because the Lord has blessed us with a voice to sing, we always plan for at least two stanzas of a gospel hymn to close the program.

In view of the fact that some length of time will elapse before the entire message is brought before the public, we are making strong use of the Bible Study Correspondence plan. This brings the message before the people even though they may not hear all of it over the air. Enrollments come in from a dozen States. Since radio has no boundary lines, there must be some plan for following up those in other conferences who are finishing the correspond­ence course. After having studied the Sabbath question, many write in and say, "We are trying to keep the right Sabbath, but how are we going to find other Sabbathkeepers or the church that keeps the Sabbath?" These must be followed up and visited.

Our plan is to write a letter to the president of the conference in which such an interest arises. In this letter we give a brief summary of our contacts with the interested person, and perhaps enclose a letter received from him. We ask the president to assign this interest to the worker in whose district the interested person lives. If his address is a box number or rural route, the postmaster will usually give information to a minister, which will aid in finding the person. From there on the interest can be more fully developed, and the person further in­structed and brought into the church. To sum up, in our radio work we have before us these four objectives:

1. To present our distinctive message defi­nitely over the air. This we do by giving the doctrinal subjects in a series of talks. In each talk we make a brief heart appeal.

2. To intersperse these doctrinal series with a devotional subject of a more general nature.

3. To make strong use of the Bible Study Correspondence plan in bringing the message before people who do not listen regularly to the program. Even though they do listen regularly, they will learn the truth and become Seventh-day Adventists in a much shorter period of time if they take the study course.

4. To follow the plan of turning over definite interests which arise in another conference to the president of the proper conference, with the understanding that he will assign the interest to a district leader.

Harvesting Radio Results

By PASTOR L. C. NADEN, President, West Australian Conference

How have you harvested your radio work? is the question I have been requested to answer through the columns of the Ministry. The aim of every preacher of the third angel's message is undoubtedly to make good Seventh-day Adventist Christians of his audience. From the beginning of my radio experience in 1937, when I was appointed pastor of the Advent Radio Church* in Sydney, Australia, I earnestly planned and prayed that I might win souls for this message through the avenue of radio preaching. I set about to harvest my radio work in the following manner.

1. Copies of the addresses broadcast were offered to any listeners who would write in for them.

2. A permanent mailing list was built up by requesting listeners to have their names listed to receive copies of the broadcast regularly.

3. The next step was the compilation of a loose-leaf book in which a page or more was set aside for every person who corresponded with us. The names were inserted in alpha­betical order. On each page we recorded the date of receipt of letters, with any items of interest or expressions of appreciation culled from them. Thus we were able to tell at a glance the number of times a person had written in, and from the information recorded we could quickly note the interest.

4. When a definite interest was noted, that person would then be invited to join the Radio Bible Class. The response to this invitation was usually good. Studies were held with the idea of gaining the absolute confidence of the readers (a) in the ability of the pastor to pre­sent Bible studies clearly ; (b) to establish faith in the word of God; and (c) ultimately to lead people to the place where they would unhesi­tatingly accept the testing truths of the third angel's message.

The "testing" truths were not presented until approximately four months after the reader received the first study. In order to help my readers meet some of the objections that are usually presented when people become inter­ested in the message, I tried an experiment which proved helpful. Along with the studies on the Sabbath question, I began posting some of the main objections to Sabbathkeeping and their answers as found in F. D. Nichol's book, "Answers to Objections." I was rather reticent about placing these objections in the hands of my readers, but I learned from this experience that very often the answers to the objections arrived at the right time, and many were helped by them. My experience with a radio Bible class conducted in this way has been that a large percentage of those taking these studies have accepted the message.

1. In addition, I have found that placing the names of interested people in the hands of our evangelists in different towns has met with good results.

2. Then, too, there is no more helpful way of quickly harvesting one's radio work than to conduct missions [evangelistic efforts] in vari­ous places under the title of "The Radio Broad­cast." For instance, we always advertise "The Advent Radio Church Mission." Announce­ments during the broadcast concerning the mission are always helpful.

3. I am always glad to give a fellow minister a boost. If he were opening his mission in another city, I would announce during my broadcast that Mr._________ , a friend of mine, would  be commencing a series of prophetic and Bible lectures in ____ ; and his subject the opening  night would be --. Then I would conclude with a strong appeal to my radio friends in that district to attend this mission. Thus this was a help in harvesting the radio interest in that place.

Just a few experiences, culled at random from my files, will show at a glance that we have had the joy of doing some harvesting in the past.

Meeting Members of Another Church.—It was my privilege to address twenty-three adults in a home at Auburn (a suburb of Syd­ney) just recently. I was invited there by the members of a certain church. They were very enthusiastic about the meeting, and invited me to give them studies fortnightly during the coming year. These people know that I am a Seventh-day Adventist, but the Radio Church had broken down all prejudice, and all present on this occasion showed a very friendly spirit by addressing me as 'lbrother." They assured me of larger congregations in the future.

Baptism in Bathtub.—An old Church of England gentleman, a retired master builder, eighty-two years of age, was listening in one night and heard for the first time the truth concerning baptism by immersion. He was so much concerned about the matter that he pur­chased no less than fifteen books that he might be sure in his own mind as to the right mode of baptism. He also visited the minister of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, with the result that the minister wrote a ten-page treatise on the subject of infant sprinkling for him, but still he was not satisfied.

After his first visit to my office he said, "Pas­tor Naden, will you baptize me some day ?" I replied, "Nothing would give me greater pleasure, Mr.       _ ." I heard no more from him  for weeks. The other day I received an urgent request to come to his home. When I arrived at the door, here was the old man in his pajamas and dressing gown. He greeted me by saying, "Pastor Naden, I have been praying and studying about the subject of baptism. Heaven is too precious to lose, and I want to do all that the Lord requires of me. I have filled the bath. Please, I would like you to baptize me now."

Before the old gentleman went into the watery grave he prayed, "0 Lord, wash away my sins and prepare me for Thy kingdom." He also handed me an envelope with the following note enclosed : "In grateful appreciation of your spiritual help and guidance, to help you in your good work—£5," This experience reminded me of the Ethiopian who said to Philip, "Here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?"

Hospitals Tuned In.—We have ascertained that the Royal Prince Alfred and the Coast Hospital, two of the largest hospitals in New South Wales, are regularly tuned in to the Advent Radio Church. Quite a number of private hospitals listen in as well. We are pleased to know that those in charge think so much of our services that they tune these great institutions in to our broadcasts for the benefit of the sick within their walls.