Listen to this! Fifty-one centers will open this year in one Brooklyn diocese alone for the propagation of the Roman Catholic faith. Has the Catholic Church stolen a march on us by actually putting into practice on a large scale the "evangelistic center" idea? In the January 3, 1948, issue of The Tablet, a Catholic weekly, published in Brooklyn, New York, there is an interesting article headlined "Non-Catholics Invited to Talks on Catholicism." The subtitle read, "Diocesan Apostolate Annual Series at Fifty Centers; Day Courses Downtown—Bishop Laud's Program."
This stirring headline pointed out very definitely the new aggressiveness that has gripped the Roman Church. Bishop Mollay is quoted as saying, "I observe with special satisfaction that a new center, to be known as St. l3oniface's Information Center, will be added this year."
"At St. Boniface's and at the other 50 centers through the diocese," Father McGowan stated, "the purpose of the instructions will be to make available to all interested non-Catholics a complete and systematic explanation of Catholic teaching and practice." The article goes on to say that "this year's instructions will be given weekly for a period of approximately five months at the 51 centers of the apostolate."
All of this is particularly enlightening and challenging in view of the earnest discussion on this very subject at the last session of the Autumn Council, November 11-20, 1947. The action taken at the council calling for the establishment of evangelistic centers is quoted here.
"WHEREAS, The shortness of time and the immensity of our unfinished task of world evangelism call for a markedly increased tempo in our evangelistic program, especially for the large cities in our midst; and
"WHEREAS, It is becoming increasingly difficult in many cities to obtain halls or auditoriums, or even tent or tabernacle sites, where evangelistic meetings can be conducted over any extended period of time; and
"WHEREAS, This results in an inability to utilize fully the services of our experienced city evangelists; therefore,
"We recommend, 1. That study be given to the establishment of evangelistic centers in the larger cities of our various unions of North America in which a strong program of continuous evangelism could be maintained.
2. What consideration be given to the formation of evangelistic teams, organized within the various unions, and composed of at least a preaching evangelist, and a singing evangelist, and which, if desired, could rotate among these evangelistic centers of the union.
3. That the union and its local conferences be encouraged to formulate a plan of finance in respect to these evangelistic teams in Which these local conferences and the union could join.
4. That the respective union conference committees direct the movements of these evangelistic teams.
5. That, because of the urgency of the hour, this program be started without undue delay with whatever facilities are available, such as church buildings that are suitably located, and halls or auditoriums that could be secured.
6. That the work of adequately evangelizing cerMin great metropolitan areas be recognized as being beyond the unaided resources of a local, or even a union conference, and that it be regarded as a denominational problem."
Surely these forthright actions are only springboards to even larger and greatly expanded evangelistic developments. Here is a real opportunity for progressive work for our evangelists. Here is a real expanding program for evangelism. We earnestly hope that our union and local conferences will immediately begin exploring the unlimited resources available in this type of evangelism, in order to give permanency and stability to our evangelistic program. Many years ago the Spirit of prophecy bore definite messages regarding this matter. Notice some of the cities that are actually mentioned by name.
NEW YORK: "Here let a center for God's work be made, and let all that is done be a symbol of the work the Lo-d desires to see done in the world. . . You are to make in New York a center for missionary effort."—Evange/ism, pp. 384, 385.
NASHVILLE: "Nashville has been presented to me as the most favorable center from which to do a general work for all classes in the Southern States."—Ibid., P• 398.
The following cities have also been named by the messenger of the Lord as important evangelistic objectives: Boston, Portland (Maine), Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington (D.C.), St. Louis, New Orleans, Memphis, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and others. So the story is to go to every nation of earth, to great cities and those grown large by the passing of the years. All are to become great centers for evangelizing the masses.
Where are these great centers to be? Is a congested church or some small congregation meeting in a hall fulfilling the evangelistic needs of this mighty hour? Surely this is the hour to strike out and follow through our resolutions by investing our all in a real advance and establishing centers and evangelistic teams in every great city of America and the world.
M. K. E.
