Deciding on one of two methods of working seems to be a live issue with the city Bible instructor. Either she may make contact with a large volume of names each week, encourage attendance at meetings, turn visits into hasty, pointed studies when possible, and thus endeavor to hold and spot new interest from all new names; or she may conduct regular Bible studies with a limited number, without attempting to visit the many new names as they are received.
Usually, with the pressure of handling hundreds of names during the course of an effort, she is compelled to adopt the first method of working; whereas, to be truly a Bible instructor and a Bible teacher she should follow the second method. To make it possible to adopt this preferred, thorough method of working, there must be many, many more Bible instructors.
As I have had occasion to speak at young people's meetings on the joys and blessings of the Bible work, I have been pleasantly surprised to note a good response from a number of young men and women who expressed their interest in the work and their desire to choose it as a vocation.
Could it be that the cause for the greatly lamented "dearth" of Bible instructors is not so much a lack of young people interested in doing this work, as a failure to search them out and recognize them? Could not experienced Bible instructors visit the churches in our conferences periodically, to keep the needs of the work before the membership, talk personally with these young men and women who are interested, encouraging those who show talent and adaptability for the work, and "spotting" them as prospective Bible instructors?
As these young people are trained and added to our working forces, they can be directed and helped by experienced Bible instructors, who will not only tell them the theory of the work but accompany them to various homes (just as the publishing department secretary helps the colporteur), and show them how contacts and approaches are made, how entrance is gained into homes, and how studies are conducted. Instead of seventy-five or a hundred baptisms resulting from the work of three or four Bible instructors, three or four times as many baptisms could be produced by ten or fifteen Bible instructors working in an effort.
Thus city evangelism would reach its objective for the multitudes, by providing thorough personal work for every individual name that is received. The results in souls won would be tremendous.
Bible instructor counsel meetings are needed in our unions to strengthen and improve the work, and each Bible instructor should have the privilege of taking the special course provided at the Seminary.
